


Nice Work if You Can Get It

by Mahoroba



Category: Uta no Prince-sama
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/M, Female Character of Color, Jazz Music, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-15
Updated: 2018-04-30
Packaged: 2019-02-02 16:29:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 23,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12730170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mahoroba/pseuds/Mahoroba
Summary: Burned out from constantly being the peacekeeper for Quartet Night, Reiji Kotobuki takes some time to clear his head.What he ends up finding changes his entire perspective.





	1. A Night in Tunisia

No matter how hard he tried, no matter what he said, nothing worked. Camus, Ai, and Ranmaru were just too different. And he was tired. Despite his notoriously sunny outlook, he was only human.

Reiji didn’t have anywhere in particular that he wanted to go. He found himself wandering - at first, with a heavy sense of apprehension; he couldn’t just wander off, Quartet Night needed him. There was a schedule he had to adhere to. And the fans! What would they think of him, storming off like this? And his juniors…

Night dusted over the city, straggling stars flickering over the endless lights of the city. The weather was mild - couples clustered together, walking aimlessly like those in love. Businessmen quietly talked to one another, while crowds of women paced by in heels, trailing perfume like hot house flowers. At night, the city was an entirely different beast. It was funny, really – during the day, he would have never thought of wandering around downtown without some sort of disguise, and now, not a single person gave him a second glance.

He knew he should turn his phone back on. He should go through all of the missed messages and texts, come up with some excuse, and come back with the same smiling face. But try as he might, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Standing on the sidewalk in the night club district, he looked down at the dark screen of his phone. Slid his fingers across the cool glass of the face of it; let his fingers linger on the power button.

He should turn it on. It was the right thing to do.

Two women slipped out of a door behind him, their voices competing with the confident tones of brass, the _tap-tappa_ of cymbals, a sly bass, the dulcet tones of a female voice. The women, nodding at him in passing, stood face to face, one shifting on her heels, the other fishing in her purse.

“Ugh, I hate leaving in the middle of one of Indigo’s sets – but I’ve got work in the morning,” the one shifting on her heels sighed, looking longingly at the door.

“Me too,” answered the other, finally retrieving her phone. “And I haven’t seen them in such a long time!” The one slightly unsteady on her heels looped her arm playfully in her friend’s. The pair started down the sidewalk, continuing their conversation. Reiji watched them go with a wistful smile. He’d forgotten how nice it was to just people watch…something that he didn’t get to do much of anymore.

Pausing in his steps, he turned back towards the door behind him. Above it, the club name,  _Tunisia_ , flickered in pale blue light. With the door sealed, the street had resigned itself back to the sounds of cars, conversation, and the mild chaos of the city. Biting his lower lip, he looked down at his phone, then to his watch. It was past midnight; surely anyone trying to get a hold of him would have called it a night. And he wasn’t tired.

He pressed on the door, and was instantly swept up into a world of cool blue. Inside, the air was cleaner, slightly sweet from old bourbon and whiskey. Soft candle light reflected off myriad bottles behind the bar, and the bartenders floated from one end of the bar to the other, immaculate in white shirts and bowties. They moved leisurely, polishing glasses, refilling drinks, stopping in front of customers. Waitresses, neat in knee length black skirts and white button down shirts and black bow ties, moved easily from table to table. Inside, the crowd was largely business men and women, winding down after a long day. Ties were undone, heels were slipped off. There was a sense of ease and comfort that he realized he wasn’t familiar with - the crowds at their shows were full of youthful energy, an energy that fed back into him and kept him going.

As he pressed further in, it slowly dawned on him that the music playing now was piped in now - vinyl jazz created ambient sound against conversations. In the back of the club was an abandoned stage, instruments still propped up. No doubt on a break; it was still early, insofar as night clubs went.

Pacing over to the bar, he slid into a chair, and made himself comfortable. The high backed bar stool was comfortable, in a sparse way. Once he sat down, he felt himself slump down.

What was he going to do?

Of course he had to go back. But how could he be a good senior if he could barely keep his group together? He was so envious of STARISH - at the end of everything, they were still friends, and that bond kept them strong. Though he wanted his juniors to be successful, it was hard not to think of the success of Quartet Night. Of course he wanted his own group to succeed, and the new challenge of STARISH had been helpful, but how to keep them together?

A drink was set down in front of him, startling him from his thoughts.

He glanced up at the bartender. Impeccably neat, the bartender gestured to a woman sitting at the opposite end of the bar. She gave him a slight wave, then smiled at him, her plush maroon lips parting over a row of white teeth. Reiji mustered a smile back, but he knew it didn’t reach his eyes. It became all too clear that it hadn’t when the smile on the woman’s face faltered, and she stood up.

He was mentally kicking himself for offending a woman when he felt someone sit down next to him. A whisper of smoky fragrance settled over him, intoxicating and soothing. Looking over, he did a poor job of masking his surprise that the woman was now sitting next to him. She possessed none of the self-consciousness that a woman drinking alone tended to have, that focus on the glass in front of her, the bunching of the shoulders. She clearly was at home in this hazy corner of the street, with her dapper black tuxedo, a red rose tucked into her lapel.

“I’m the one usually buying drinks for beautiful women,” he mused, looking down at his distorted reflection in the glass. “But if it gets someone like you next to me, I can’t complain.”

A sultry chuckle. “What’s the hang up?”

The voice was husky; self-confident. He looked up from his drink, caught off guard.

“I’m fine,” he said, with a little too much forced cheerfulness. “I had a rough time at work.”

“Yeah?” She swiveled on the barstool, her back now to the bar. Leaning against it, she crossed her legs. His eyes drawn to the movement, he caught the flash of white spats about a slim ankle.

“Yeah,” he chuckled, despite himself. “They can’t ever get along. And I try to get them to hold it together, but…” He trailed off. “We’re not really friends.”

“Sounds rough. But you know, you’re not paid to be friends. You’re paid to get a job done.” She drummed her fingers against the bar top – _dum dum da da dum_. “But you seem like the type that wants everyone to get along.”

 He allowed himself to look from her shoes to her face. His breath caught. She wasn’t instantly stunning, nothing like the model beauties that he’d seen around the school. No, her beauty was a well-worn collection of parts – intense dark eyes, creamy brown skin, a small beauty mark on the right corner of her full mouth that made him want to kiss her. A quiet, overwhelming presence that held him to his seat.

“…How could you guess?” His smile was rueful now, honest. More honest than he’d felt it in ages.

“From your eyes,” she said, as if it were the most simple thing in the world. “Also, don’t see many guys like you in a place like this.” She gave a slight wave to the interior of the club. “Not saying it’s a bad thing,” she added, with a smile. “Nothing helps me play better than a good-looking face.”

“Oh, you think I’m good-looking?” He grinned easier now, feeling his spirits lift. “Then I definitely stumbled into the right place.”

She laughed now, and slid off of her stool. Lightly clapping him on the shoulder, she surprised him by the unexpected strength in her grip. He watched her walk away, smiling, lifting the drink to her in a silent toast.

It was only when she took the stage that Reiji realized that her voice sounded familiar.

“Good night, folks of _Tunisia_! I’m Evangeline Moody, and this is my fantastic band, Indigo. We’re thrilled to be home again,” she said, waving out at the crowd. Under the lights, her black hair took on a deep blue cast. “We’re gonna swing it for you tonight - but we’re gonna start off with something to take the day off, help you all relax,” and she strummed a few chords on the double bass. “Takashi is going to take the lead on this one - since there’s nothing like a good sax after work,” and she winked out to everyone.

“That pun was horrible,” sniped the trumpet player, shaking his head. Evangeline laughed, a light, airy sound. “Do you guys agree with Kazz? Bad joke?”

The audience dissolved into easy laughter - one intrepid audience member went so far as to shout “NO!” above the heads of everyone, causing another ripple of laughter to shake through.

With a chuckle and a shake of her head, she plucked the strings on her bass. Counted softly, and Takashi took the center stage. The piano started them off with a barely perceptible nod from her, and then she began as well, taking backseat comfortably to the alto saxophone, setting the sedate pace along with the drums.

An irresistible ripple went through the crowd. Conversations started anew, and laughter came easier. Reiji felt himself taken aback. It wasn’t that he was unfamiliar with jazz; far from. It was the way he was feeling now that…made him…feel…feel like the Happy Pulse - no, it wasn’t that. It was calmer, the way it whispered in his ear, slipped around his shoulders, ran invisible fingers through his hair. He found himself fixed on Evangeline, watching her long fingers manipulate the strings of her bass, settled on the way those full lips of hers turned up, the slight nod of her head along with the beat of the music.

One song melted into another, and he nursed his drink throughout, locked on her. Though she announced herself as the band leader, she seemed to stay in the background, occasionally singing, but the songs were split evenly within the members of her band. She would switch from the bass to piano, with a smoothness that had to come from prior rehearsal, but seemed natural nonetheless. And when the final notes died away, he joined in with the rest of the bar, clapping vigorously, whistling without abandon. From the stage, he could feel her smile beaming down on him.

____

Seeing her, whenever he could, became routine. It wasn’t always easy, of course, but somehow, he’d make the time. Sometimes Indigo was there, and sometimes they weren’t. Even on the nights that they weren’t, he stayed anyway, listening to whatever replacement the bar had managed to find. They were always excellent musicians, but never as good as Indigo – never close to bringing back that wave of chill. 

 _Tunisia_ became a home away from home - he was recognized as a regular by some of the staff, but no one prodded further into who he was. He was simply a fan of Indigo - something that meant he belonged. Bartenders struck up easy conversations with him, and over time, he got to know them, and tried to figure out more about Indigo’s schedule.  _Tunisia_ was their home base in Japan, but with Evangeline clearly not being from Japan, she occasionally went home. Indigo would stay behind (unless they were touring with her), and their impromptu, guerilla jam sessions at  _Tunisia_  were the talk of the town, and business boomed on those nights. Reiji had been lucky enough to catch a few, and though they were quickly becoming a highlight, having heard them with Evangeline, it always felt that something vital was missing.

And then the Triple S happened - and he hadn’t been by in weeks.

Pulling up his coat around his shoulders, he wandered in, hoping that his luck would hold. If he remembered, Indigo had recently come back from abroad. If his memory was correct, and after all of the glitter and excitement of the Triple S, that was a very big if.

The bar was packed; a low buzz of excitement rippling through. Squeezing close to the bar, he raised his fingers. The bartender tonight was a familiar face, and seeing Reiji, she smiled and nodded, starting on his drink. Reiji smiled, and swiveled in his seat, twisting to face the stage. And his smile widened. He’d recognize that bass anywhere.

Stepping out onto the stage, resplendent in her tuxedo, Evangeline raised her hand to the crowd. “I’m thrilled to be back in Japan, and back in  _Tunisia_. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” Her tone softened as she stepped closer to the piano. “I see a lot of new faces,” she raised her hand to her eyes, lightly shielding them from the glare of the lights. As she turned to focus on the bar, Reiji lifted his glass to her. Her smile grew.

“And I see some familiar faces as well.” She played a few notes on the piano, looking down at her fingers. “Including some that I was hoping that I was going to see. And so, my next song goes out to them.”

Striking the next few notes lightly, she leaned over her microphone, her voice easing into the song.

 

_Hello, stranger_

_It seems so good to see you back again_

_How long has it been?_

_Seems like a mighty long time…._

 

Their eyes met, and he felt his cheeks grow warm.

 

Her voice was somehow sweeter than he remembered it, magnifying the coolness that swept over him. It was second nature to tap out the rhythm of her music with his fingers, to watch the rest of the audience relax with him. Better yet, she’d look at him deliberately from time to time, and her smile warmed him more than the liquor.

_________

 

It was bold for him.

In all of the times that he’d visited since that first night, they’d done little more than exchange smiles, her from the stage, him from the bar. When they took breaks between sets, he’d watch them, refresh his drink. He knew their pattern like clockwork now: they’d gather in a huddle of sorts, with Evangeline speaking, before they went their separate ways – her, usually out the side door with the drummer, the two of them speaking more with their hands than with words. And, five minutes to the dot before they were scheduled to come back on, she’d return, sipping from a bottle of water, stretching, before settling herself down at her instrument of choice. At the end of each set, he’d stay until they packed up, watching the easy banter between the band members, then would head home.

Tonight, something felt different. He’d felt her make the first step towards him with that song, and he was intent on actually talking to her. Imagine, him, feeling something close to star-struck, when it was usually the opposite! So, he’d followed her, pushing through the crowd with polite “excuse-mes” until he was out the side door. The side door opened into a small cobblestone alley, leading back to the street.  _Tunisia’s_  sign hung over it all, a baby blue moon.

And there she was, bathed in that flickering blue light, her cigarette smoke undulating in slow time from the tip of her cigarette. She was exhaling towards the sky, fixated on a point he couldn’t see. As the door opened, she turned to face him, surprise on her face.

“Well, you certainly weren’t who I was expecting,” her smile was easy, kind. “Hello, stranger,” she purred, tapping her cigarette between her long fingers.

Reiji smiled, quietly closing the door behind him. He’d felt a surge of delight, catching her by surprise.

"I feel like I could say that as well - I've been here, but you haven't. Kaz said you had another gig?” He leaned against the closed door for a moment, before thinking better of it, and stepped aside. 

She looked surprised, her dark brows creasing as she looked down at her cigarette between her fingers. She swallowed, then looked back at him, as if nothing had happened. “Something like that.” The curve of her smile suggested a secret as she flicked ash down at her feet. "It really has been a mighty long time, hasn't it?"

His smile widened. So she'd not only noticed him; she'd been looking for him as well. “Work’s kept me busy. But I can’t stay away.”

He leaned against the same wall she was on, keeping space between the two of them.

Conscientiously, she blew smoke away from him, going a step further in waving it away and up into the air. “So, stranger – do you have a name?” She looked at him through partially closed lids, her full lips curved, reminding him of a cat.

“Reiji Kotobuki.” He wasn’t sure if he imagined it, but it seemed that there was a brief spark of recognition in her dark eyes, before they returned back to their playful half-lidded expression.

“Well, Kotobuki,” she carefully blew smoke up and away from him, “I’m Evangeline Moody.” She held out her free hand. He paused for a moment, before enclosing it in his own. Her hand was smaller than his, but rougher. Her handshake was firm, decisive.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you...” It took all of his self control not to bow to her, but to leave it at the handshake. “Evie-chan,” he added, with a sunbeam smile. One of her heavy eyebrows quirked, before her mouth followed suit, and she laughed openly.

“ ‘Evie-chan.’ That’s a new one.”

“You can call me ‘Rei-chan,’” he eagerly supplied, before letting go of her hand.

“I think ‘Kotobuki’ is more proper, unless my Japanese is just that bad.”

He paused, before he realized she was being sarcastic. Then he smiled again.

“Whatever you call me, I’ll be happy just to hear your voice.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't begin to say how many times I've re-written this story in my head - and hopefully this will be the version that sticks / I complete!
> 
> Also - Suggested listening:
> 
> "A Night in Tunisia" - Ella Fitzgerald: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xQxN5Sxndc
> 
> "Hello Stranger" - Yvonne Elliman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KtgMrkkIjE


	2. Waiting

It was, perhaps, the longest 20 minutes in Reiji’s life.

Well, no – time seemed to slow when he first auditioned, and when he first went on with Quartet Night, or when they announced the results of the Triple S, but this sort of pressure was completely different - more like when he was first starting out.

Shining’s uncharacteristically impassive face wasn’t helping matters.

The older man held the phone in his hands, without so much as a nod or recognition of what was playing before him. Through the phone’s tiny speakers, the sound of Indigo boomed through. Kaz’s trumpet screamed in the middle of a solo, the soulful wail occasionally broken by cheers from the crowd. Reiji remembered that – he was one of the ones that had been so moved that he started cheering before the solo was complete. The crowd pulled together in a dull roar as all the instruments started again, picking up the threads of each blistering solo and weaving them into a wall of sheer sound.

 As the performance was devoured by applause, Shining Saotome studied the blank screen before handing the phone back to Reiji. Slipping it nervously in his pocket, Reiji swallowed to wet his suddenly dry mouth.

“We, I mean, Quartet Night, we had a composer before Haruka – like, the composer for ‘Poision Kiss’ – so, I think it’s not impossible for us to have another composer before. And I think Evie-ch, I mean, Moody-san and her group would be a really interesting twist on our music. Something entirely new to show that we can do something different and expand to a bigger audience!”

Reiji pulled the phone out of his pocket again, cued up the video, and scrolled through until he found a good shot of the audience, and hit ‘pause.’ “See, look? There’s a totally different crowd there, but they reacted the same as our crowds do to her music. And, see, they’ve got range from really fast stuff to really slow things, too, so she can do fast songs and ballads, and she comes with her own in house band, so you wouldn’t have to hire any new musicians, I mean, no new musicians but them-”

“What was her name again?” Shining’s voice was odd. It was _quiet_.

Reiji swallowed. He wasn’t sure what Shining’s tone meant.

“Evangeline Moody…the group is Indigo. She’s the band leader.”

“Do you know she writes songs?”

Reiji felt a flicker of hope. “I do! Her band members all confirmed it. They perform some of her compositions, but she doesn’t take credit for them – what I just showed you was one of hers. See, I’ll play it again!”

Rather than watching it from the beginning, Reiji allowed the recording to play from where he paused it. Shining let out a thoughtful sound, tapping the side of his head. Then he suddenly bolted up, knocking his chair to the ground with a clatter.

“THE CHILL PUSLE!” he boomed, holding his hands high overhead.

“You…felt it too?” Reiji’s expression grew hopeful. He wasn’t sure if the recording would carry that same, soothing feeling over, but somewhere, somehow, it must have-

“YES! A pair of warm fuzzy slippers after a long day! The taste of your favorite drink on your tongue! Conversations by candlelight! Nostalgia!” Shining slammed his hands down on his desk, rattling his sunglasses on his face. “This Indigo – they have it! This Moody, she has it! She’ll be here!”

Reiji’s face could have outshone the sun in its brilliance. “Thank you so much, Shining-san! You won’t regret this! Indigo and Evie-chan are the best!”

Colored smoke began to pour from the curtains in Shining’s office, enveloping the room in bright yellow fog. A center spotlight cut through, illuminating Shining Saotome as he now stood on top of his desk, one arm on his hip, the other pointing directly to the ceiling. “The cool feeling of a grown up world! The smell of coffee and bitter tears! The CHILL PULSE!”

_________

A stylish, maroon 1969 convertible Karmann Ghia pulled into the circular drive way of Saotome Gakuen, leaving lazy swirls of dirt and gravel in its wake. Standing outside waiting were Ringo and Ryuya, the latter’s eyebrow twitching slightly as the dust slowly settled. Ringo, charmingly cute in an oversized teal jumper, black leggings, and midnight blue heels, stepped forward, delicately waving dust away from his face. 

A pregnant pause as the car door opened, and the driver stepped out. The driver was immaculate in black and white wing-tipped oxfords, pinstriped black pants, suspenders, and a white shirt. A maroon tie was about her neck, and a black fedora with a curving green feather topped a sleek head of shining black hair, cut in a bob that framed her jaw. As she closed the door, she turned to face the two teachers, and smiled.

“Moody-san?” Ringo ventured, taking another step forward. 

“That’s me - Tsukimiya-san and Hyuga-san?” The driver idly popped her suspenders over her shoulders.

“Yes, I’m Tsukimiya Ringo, and this is Hyuga Ryuya” Ringo gestured to the gruff orange-haired man. 

“I thought so. I’ve seen you on T.V. a few times,” Evangeline said, nodding towards Ringo. “And, of course, you too, Hyuga-san.” She leaned against the door of the car. When she looked up again, her smile was kind, with the slightest bit of shyness. Ringo felt his cheeks grow warm.

“…You’re not what I expected,” Ryuya said flatly, looking at Evangeline with a careful eye.

“Oh?” Her smile grew kittenish, an unspoken question in the corner of her lips. “It’s the suspenders, isn’t it?”

Ryuya, caught off guard, and realizing that what he’d said may not have been the most polite thing in the world (even if it was a honest observation) - coughed into his closed fist. Ringo giggled.

“Your outfit is adorable,” he chirped, holding his fingers up to frame her. “It’s so chic! Cool!” Clearly tickled by Ringo’s enthusiasm, Evangeline chuckled, and ran her thumbs under the straps of her suspenders. “I’m glad you approve.” 

Her dark eyes scanned the front of her school. A wistful expression flitted across her face, then was gone. “I thought Kotobuki-kun arranged this? Where is he?”

Ringo shot Evangeline a sunbeam smile. “He’s busy with the rest of the members of Quartet Night, but depending on how this meeting goes, I’m sure you’ll meet the rest of them later on.”

“Aren’t you being wonderfully optimistic?” That just-so shy smile, warming and sly. 

Ringo deftly looped his arm through hers, not thinking a moment if the gesture was overly familiar. “With the way Reiji-kun’s been going on about you, this meeting can’t go anything but well!”

_____

“I’m surprised that you came in, Moody-kun.”

“Mm? Why’s that?” She turned to face him, her idle pursuing of his office complete. Ringo and Ryuya exchanged surprised glances. Ringo stood to the right of Shining Saotome’s desk, and Ryuya stood to the left.

“You have quite the reputation!” Shining turned the screen of his computer towards her. “‘Selective.’ ‘Picky.’ ‘Difficult to work with.’ ‘Perfectionist.’” He slowly turned the screen back to the desk, his sunglasses catching the white reflection.

“I wholeheartedly disagree with ‘difficult to work with,’” she responded, running her hands under her suspenders. “All I’ve ever wanted is the freedom to create music with the people I want to create music with. That’s all.”

“Oh? How was it like working with HT?”

“HT?!” Ringo’s eyes goggled. Ryuya looked confused.

“HT’s on her way to being one of the biggest singers in South Korea,” Ringo helpfully supplied. “Her new album, ‘Past Times’ has been topping the charts – it’s really gotten her out there.” Realization dawned on his face. “Moody-san, did you work on that album?!”

“Composed all of the songs while HT wrote most of the lyrics, though it’s been rumored that you also shared writing credits under a pen name.” Shining finished, his smile smug. “ ‘The new talent of HT!’ ‘HT matures as a singer’, ‘ ‘Past Times’ is the must hear album of HT.’” He seemed to be reading the article titles more to himself than to the group of people gathered in the office. “I thought you didn’t particularly like working with pop stars, Moody-kun. And ‘Past Times’ is an album full of prime material – why give it to an unknown singer?”

Ringo and Ryuya, both, without saying a word to the other, felt as if they’d walked in on the middle of a conversation, rather than one that’d just started.

Evangeline smiled. “HT has so much talent and so much promise. If anything, I was quite surprised that she reached out to me personally. She had a very clear idea of what she wanted for this album. With her being such an unknown, she really had the ability to do whatever she wanted – and rather than doing what she thought was going to sell, she did what she wanted to do. I respect that.” Evangeline rocked forward on her toes, then back to her heels. “Plus, I got to work with a full orchestra with Indigo – talk about a challenge! But the fullness of the music-” she raised her fingers to her mouth, kissed them to the ceiling. “Amazing.” 

Shining fixed his gaze on Evangeline, and folded his hands under his chin, waiting. Picking up on the unspoken cue, Evangeline’s smile grew rueful, and she folded her arms behind her back neatly. “…And HT reminded me a lot of her, back when we first started. I couldn’t say ‘no.’”

“So that’s why you were out of Japan – Kotobuki-kun mentioned that he’d gone by _Tunisia_ several times and Indigo wasn’t there. Speaking of Kotobuki-kun – do you know who he is? Why would you agree to coming back here, on the word of a complete stranger?”

She answered with an off-handed shrug, her smile kiddish. “Of course I know who he is. I have a TV, you know. I figured he got mobbed all the time by fans, and the whole point of my music, of going to _Tunisia_ , is to relax. So I didn’t let on that I knew who he was.”

Shining Saotome beamed. “Are you interested in working with Quartet Night?”

Ringo had veritable stars in his eyes, while Ryuya crossed his arms. Ringo’s blue eyes sparkled as he stood on his tip toes, waiting for Evangeline to respond. Noticing how the pink-haired man was acting, her smile grew.

“Of course. I wouldn’t have come otherwise.”

Ringo let out an excited squeal. Sensing that Ryuya was nowhere near as impressed as he should be, Ringo grasped Ryuya’s arm and clung, bouncing up and down.

“But!” Shining jumped from his chair, waving his finger in Evangeline’s face. “There are requirements! Rules! Details!”

Evangeline made the shape of a gun, pointer fingers out, and “fired,” jerking her hand upwards. “Shoot.”

“You’ve got two weeks to write a hit single for Quartet Night. You get two weeks instead of one because you’ve never worked with the groups before, and haven’t been around them like the previous and current composers. If you’re able to deliver, then I’ll sign Indigo to Shining Agency and start a media blitz. You’ll be overnight sensations! The CHILL PULSE, brought to one and all!”

Evangeline rubbed her chin, considering. Then shook her head, the smooth fringe of her hair swinging back and forth.

“No.”

Ringo gasped. Ryuya started. Shining’s grin only grew more manic.

“Don’t you want to be famous?” Shining pressed, holding his arms high overhead. “Bring your music to a much larger audience?!”

“I never wanted to be famous,” interjected Evangeline, crossing her arms slowly. “I’m only in it for the music. You don’t have to add anything in about signing us. Besides, I’ve already got some fame as it is.”

Shining’s smile grew less manic, and, for a handful of moments, slipped through, unvarnished and sincere, a crack in the over the top persona. He leaned over his desk now, holding out his hand. “Deliver a hit single in two weeks, starting tomorrow. Details to be discussed when it’s delivered.”

“Sounds fair,” Evangeline stepped forward, grasped his hand in hers, and shook it.

“You’ll be expected to move in tonight!” crowed Shining Saotome, letting go of her hand.

Evangeline balked, her eyebrows lifting. “Move in? Here? Tonight?!”

“But of course! As the primary composer for Indigo, it will be your responsibility to write the new song for Quartet Night, and practice with them as much as possible! This way, you will be the one setting the schedule for Indigo, for MAXIMUM benefit! Moving costs will be covered, and it will be a temporary arrangement – only bring what you’ll need for two weeks.”

She took off her hat to run a hand through her blunt bob; let out a heavy sigh that turned into a chuckle. “I should have expected as much. Fine.” Replacing the hat on her head, she turned to start out the door. Right before she opened the door, she stopped, and turned. “When will you let Quartet Night know?”

Shining let out a hearty laugh. “Today. Inform your band of the new gig immediately!”

She peered at him as if she were looking through cloudy glasses, then simply shook her head and chuckled again, stepping out of the door.

_____

There was silence in Shining’s office for long minutes after Evangeline had left. Ringo was the first to break it, after he managed to pick his jaw up from the ground.

“…Have you met her before, Shiny-san? You were awfully familiar with her. And who is the ‘her’ that Moody-san keeps referring to? HT?”

“I’ve never seen her before in this office,” mused Ryuya, his curiosity considerably muted compared to Ringo’s. “What kind of musician turns down fame?”

Shining Saotome was standing at the window in his office now, watching as Evangeline got into her car below. His arms folded behind his back, he let out a mighty laugh, once, twice. “I’d expect no less from Moody-kun.”

Whirling to face the baffled Ringo and Ryuya, Shining held up a finger. “All will be revealed in time!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "HT" is pretty much influenced by the Korean singer, IU, and, well, "Past Times", is essentially a cipher for the "Modern Times" album by IU. You can check it out here!:
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMT8CS01zFU


	3. The Dice Are Cast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Indigo makes their first appearance at Saotome Gakuen, and Ai and Reiji are caught by surprise.

 “What do you guys think of it? A new composer for Quartet Night!” Otoya exclaimed, holding up his phone as he burst into the Master Course dorm’s common room. His face was flushed, and he was slightly out of breath.

The rest of the STARISH boys were already seated, respectively going through their phones. Added to the group was Tomochika, who was looking at Haruka’s cell phone screen. 

“You’re late!” chirruped Tomochika, looking up from Haruka’s phone. “Shining-san said for us all to meet here at 9 sharp!”

“To be fair, Shining-san did send the text out at 8:30,” sighed Masato. 

Otoya smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. “Well, you guys are still here, so I can’t be that late!” He flopped down on the couch, settling next to Tomochika. With Tomochika, Haruka, and now Otoya, the couch was quite cramped with red-heads. Tokiya and Masato had opted to stand, with Ren lazing in a nearby chair. Natsuki, Syo, and Cecil were sitting on the other couch, with Syo looking quite uncomfortable to be squeezed between the two men.

Haruka smiled. “I’m excited – it’s good to work with new people.” 

Tomochika smiled, lightly elbowing Haruka. “That’s the spirit!”

“Haru-chan’s playing is perfect,” interjected Natsuki, adjusting his glasses looking down at his screen.

“Yeah, I agree,” sniped Syo. “You were the best for STARISH and Quartet Night; I don’t know why they’re bringing someone else in!”

“I agree as well! Haruka’s music is blessed by the muses!” added Cecil, crossing his arms.

“Everyone…” Haruka’s smile was beatific, her cheeks warming. “I’m honestly sure that Shining-san has an idea in mind.”

“Totally! All of Shining-san’s ideas have gone somewhere,” Tomochika added. “Besides, all of you have seniors - what if this new composer is going to be Haruka’s senior? Ever thought about that?” 

The looks on the faces of the boys around the room made it quite clear that no, they hadn’t _quite_ thought of that.

“Perhaps it is to give Nanami-san a break. It cannot be easy, composing for two groups, and occasionally three,” Masato calmly pointed out. “We don’t know much more; it’s foolish to speculate endlessly. And from what it sounds like, this was actually Kotobuki-san’s idea.”

A collective “Ehhhhh?!” echoed around the room - sans Tokiya. With a sight furrowing of his brow, he rubbed his chin.

“I wonder how well the other members of Quartet Night took it.”

A collective silence as the STARISH boys, Haruka, and Tomochika considered the possibilities. The resulting facial expressions said it all. Buzzing, chiming, and assorted tweets disturbed the collective train of thought. Looking down at her phone, Haruka’s nervous smile melted into a genuine one.

“Well,” she said, standing, “It looks like they’re ready for us! Let’s go to the music room!”

_____

“Pioneering princes! Legends of the stage!” boomed Shining Saotome as he appeared in a hail of colored smoke. Behind him, Ringo causally waved smoke away from his face, while Ryuya looked mildly annoyed. The members of STARISH looked eager - the members of Quartet Night, with the exception of Ai, who typically had no expression, and Reiji’s troubled smile, looked like they’d swallowed storm clouds. 

 _Well, I suppose that went over as well as we would have thought_ , mused Haruka, giving the stormy faces of Camus and Ranmaru a slight smile, hoping to ease things over. Reiji, noticing her effort, shot her a brilliant grin, and gave her a thumbs up.

“So pleased to have you all here! As you all know, music is the language of happiness! Of love! It transcends all boundaries and languages! And here at Saotome Gauken, we specialize in finding the best and brightest stars, and raise them high to the sky! Nanami-kun!”

Haruka paused as the spotlight beamed down on her. Confusion was in her pale eyes.

“Nanami-kun, you have proven yourself time and time again as a composer worthy of not one, not two, but three groups! But!” The flamboyant showman waved his finger and clicked his tongue, “There are many composers out there, each with their own special light! Kotobuki-kun has done me the great favor of bringing a wandering comet back to the planet of love and dreams, back to us here at Saotome Gakuen! I want to introduce everyone to that marvelous comet and her stars, flickering deep in the midnight blue of the cool night sky! INDIGO!”

With the spotlight suddenly off of her, Haruka breathed a small sigh of relief, and quickly stepped to the eagerly gesturing Tomochika. 

The smoke that billowed in was white now, illuminated by cold blue light, making the music room appear as if it’d been plunged underwater. Blue lights paled, washing out the room further. A single spotlight cut through, focusing on a group of six tuxedo clad people. Without further ado, the pianist, a woman with a very familiar black bob, began to play. 

Washing over them, the song she sang pulled them into a deep blue pool, refreshing, carrying away the weight of the day. It drew them in, drew them under. The drummer leaned over his microphone, his voice harsh. The song bounced between the two of them - where he dropped it, she’d pick up, occasionally their voices threaded together, before unraveling again. 

It was Reiji that was the first to sit down, folding his legs and resting his chin on his palms. Masato followed close behind, his gaze locked onto the piano player. And, one by one, the audience found a spot on the floor to get comfortable, leaning forward to catch more of the music. Haruka watched with bright eyes, Tomochika beaming next to her. Ren was leaning back against the wall, keeping the beat with his slender fingers against his thighs. Natsuki’s eyes were green stars, and Syo nodded with the tune, his eyes closed. Tokiya was focused on the band members, assessing them one by one. Otoya was leaning forward, a bright smile glued to his face. Camus slowly crossed his arms, his glacial blue eyes sliding closed and allowing himself the smallest of smiles. Cecil, startled by Camus’s calm expression, moved to the floor in shock, before his face began to light up. Ai blinked slowly, his expression mildly searching, looking for something tangible in the music.

Ranmaru, looking around at those in front of him, remained standing, his arms firmly crossed  and a scowl on his face, through one song, then another. It was when Evangeline moved from the piano, then from the bass with the next song, then to the drums, that his eyes widened. He was lost with her first note. Her drumming forced him down, even though his pride wanted him to keep standing, wanted him to resist her siren song voice, the way it felt like she was whispering in his ear, stroking his shoulders, an intimacy that insisted that he stop, slow down. Enjoy. Enjoy her. 

He was in a stupor as he sat down, finally, his eyes never leaving her.

At the very back of the room, long forgotten by the younger audience, Shining Saotome nodded sagely, grinning. Next to him sat Ringo, his chin in his palm as he leaned forward, eyes glimmering, and Ryuya, cross legged and crossed armed. 

“It’s such a dreamy feeling…” sighed Ringo.

“I feel completely relaxed; like coming home from a  long day at work,” said Ryuya, loosening his tie.

“Moody-kun’s music, specifically with Indigo, creates a feeling of calm contentment, hence her popularity with an older demographic. Everyone who sees them perform comes back relaxed and refreshed. It is, what I believe, to be another phase of the Happy Pulse!” thundered Shining Saotome - but even he seemed quieter than usual in the wave of music.

Ringo blinked. “Another phase of the Happy Pulse? I feel good,” he said, doodling looping circles on the floor, “but it’s not the same with the Happy Pulse.”

“Yeah,” added Ryuya. “It’s nice, but not the same.”

Shining Saotome’s grin grew wider. It was the kind of grin that Ringo and Ryuya knew meant that he had something else up his sleeve.

“Indigo is a unique band - and only they can create this feeling. Moody-kun must use these musicians, or it’s lost. Since they’re not under contract with us, I have scheduled specific session times with them. They have to earn a living as well. Now, for the main event!”

Evangeline stepped from behind the drums, sweat like diamonds on her forehead. 

“For our last song, I’m going to change things up a bit,” her dulcet voice wove through the smoke, “And sing one of my favorites. I’ll leave the instruments to my wonderful band.” 

The pianist’s brows lifted as he looked at Evangeline, pride in his face. Her returning smile was all the answer he needed, and he began to play.

And then she began to sing. 

Her voice rose above the music, wrapped invisible arms around the instruments, pulling their sound into it. A tangible vibration crackled, snapped through the music room. Her song ceased to be a song, no, it transcended being a song - it became a conversation with a best friend over warm tea, the reassuring caress of a lover. 

The data was overwhelming to Ai’s brain - and he found himself quite lost in her voice. 

There were many things about people that he was still learning, though his databases were extensive. He could feel something from her voice; something that created a flutter in his chest. Evangeline sang with confidence, with that touch of sadness that made the flutter in his chest sweetly painful. Her band members played an energy that was unfamiliar to him. Rarely had he noticed the musicians that they performed with - the focus was on the crowd, or on the dances, or on their own voices. Here, though, the members of Indigo seemed to be playing just for Evangeline, just to pay tribute to her voice and support it. Warmth was in the music. 

Ai watched each band member, noting their faces. Evangeline looked out to them, her eyes dreamy and sad, lost in the meaning of her words. No, that wasn’t quite true; she looked at Reiji approximately 5% more than the entire audience. It wouldn’t be noticeable to anyone else. To Ai, it made sense; after all, she was the most familiar with Reiji. But…

When her song ended, it seemed to leave him empty: a sorrow that was brought on by the absence of the warmth she’d created with her voice. His face was warm, his throat dry. Absently, he touched his fingertips to his warm eyes. Nothing. He took in a deep breath; looked around the room. A quick scan showed him that he was not alone in being quite without words, caught up in a warmth he’d never felt before. 

“That was the Chill Pulse,” Shining Saotome finally said, nodding his head in contentment. Ryuya and Ringo merely stared, flabbergasted. 

Reiji’s vibrant applause shattered the silence, and then, the boys of STARISH were on their feet, Haruka, hastily wiping tears from her eyes. The house lights returned to normal, and the blue dream that they had been wrapped in faded away. Evangeline Moody was just a woman in a tuxedo, smiling and bowing. 

“Thank you all for listening to me and my group,” she said, stepping away from the microphone, dabbing delicately at the sweat on her forehead. “I’m Evangeline Moody, and I’m the band leader for Indigo.” Looking back at the rest of the men, she tilted her head towards the mike, before waving them over. “I’ll leave my band to make their own introductions,” her smile tip-toed into the clever. “We’ll start with my wonderful accompanist, Paulo,” and she pointed to the piano player. 

Bounding away from the piano, he gave the audience a wide grin. His skin was warm brown, and his hair amber curls. “I’m Paulo Sousa - I play the piano, the guitar, bongos, congas, and the drums every blue moon. I also add vocals from time to time, but, eh,” he waved his hand, “I’m honestly not that great at it.”

A light chuckle from the band. Evangeline nudged him lightly with her elbow. “You undersell yourself, Paulo.” He grinned, obviously comforted.

The trumpet player stepped forward, holding his trumpet in one hand. He was a short man, the height of Evangeline, and stocky. With a smooth baby face, complete with rounded cheeks and the faintest hints of laugh lines near his lines, he had thick brows and a sharp nose. His hair was possibly the most striking thing about him - a glistening ebony pompadour, brushed back and styled with the upmost care. His fingers were stubby, his hands seeming too large for the instrument. 

“I’m Kazuhito Muto - I play the trumpet,” he held the shining instrument aloft, “and the alto sax. Please, call me ‘Kaz’; everyone does.” He bowed, before stepping aside. Laughing, three men stepped up. Their heights were comically perfect - the trombone player was shortest, with each of the saxophone players being just a bit taller. As if cut from some bizarre cloth, they were all thin, with long limbs. 

“We’ve decided to share our mike time, since we each only play one instrument,” spoke the trombone player. His face was fox like - high cheekbones, narrowed eyes and slim brows. A faint mustache over thin lips.

“And they’re super mean to us because of it,” pouted one of the saxophone players. He was the middle in height, with long black hair that he had carelessly tied back in a ponytail. His cheeks were round, his eyes bright.

“Are not!” called out Paulo, to faint laughter.

The trombone player rolled his eyes. “I’m Shinobu Tanaka.”

“I’m Rei Iijima - I play the tenor sax.” He carelessly shook his ponytail out behind him. 

The other saxophone player jostled him playfully. He was the tallest, with coarse curling black hair and thick side burns. Laugh lines cut deep on the sides of his eyes, and his skin was stretched tight across broad cheekbones in a square face.“And I’m Takashi Urano, the baritone saxophone.” 

The drummer stood now, walking over to the mike. Behind Evangeline, he paused, gently squeezing her shoulder, before moving forward. 

Ai glanced at Reiji. 

Odd. 

The brunette seemed tense; focusing more intently on this man than the others. Looking back to the musicians, Ai noted that the drummer looked at Evangeline for 30 seconds longer than he had at anyone else, aside from the shoulder touch. The drummer was tall - at least a foot taller than Evangeline - with deep honey skin and long bangs. Handsome in a well-worn way; flecks of gray in his black hair and crow’s feet around his eyes aged him. Stubble graced his cheeks and chin. In addition to his tuxedo, he wore a pork pie hat, a small red feather tucked in the head band. 

“I’m Junichiro Takehito - I play the drums, double bass, and the piano, in additional to vocals.” True to his song before, his voice was raspy, but not unpleasant. Ai thought that it was unique - right on the fine line of soothing and irksome. Evangeline shot him a warm smile, before turning her attention back to the audience. 

“Now,” Evangeline stepped forward, clapping her hands together, “I’ll explain a little about why I’m here - then you guys can ask all the questions you want. As you know, Indigo has been brought in to work on a new single for Quartet Night. Since we don’t have as much of a history with them as you do, Nanami-kun, I’ve asked them to pick one of their songs that they feel best describes what they love about their music, and I, in turn, have picked a jazz standard for each member. The point of this is for everyone to get an idea of how we work. While that’s going on, I’ll keep working on Quartet Night’s song.”

“You can think of Moody-san as one of us teachers,” chimed in Ringo, “She’ll be living in the dorms!”

“Precisely,” Evangeline added, “And I’ve got an open door policy - if my door is open, I’m in, and feel free to come by and ask me whatever questions that you’d like. This is also open to you, the members of STARISH.” She clapped her hands quietly together. “So, any questions?”

A beat, before the boys of STARISH were speaking over one another.

“Sousa-san, how long have you been playing the piano-”

“Moody-san, how did you get to be a band leader-”

“Ah, Eve-chan! You’re so cute!” Natsuki exclaimed - causing the group to dissolve into laughter.

“I’ve been told that before, yes,” she answered, in good humor. “But thank you. Shinomiya-kun, right?”

Natsuki’s green eyes were stars, and he lunged forward, engulfing the shorter woman into a bear hug. Laughing, she gave in, allow herself to be lifted off the ground by the blonde. 

“Ah, Natsuki, that’s enough!” sputtered a flustered Syo, waving his hands frantically. “She’s our senior!”

“But she’s so cute in her tuxedo!” Natsuki nearly purred, rubbing his cheek against Evangeline’s. By some sort of magic, she wiggled free in an instant, neatly putting space between herself and the still cooing blonde.

“Well, I must say, I haven’t been given a welcome like that since I left home,” she was smoothing her bobbed hair down, “but thank you again.”

“Moody-san,” Ren purred, stepping closer. “Might I be able to play with your band at some point? I’d love to work with you closer…” He paused, for the briefest of moments, “my duchess.” He stepped forward, taking Evangeline’s hand. Gently pressing a kiss to her knuckles, his blue eyes sparkled. Evangeline smiled, letting her hand slip from his.

“ ‘Duchess’?” She raised her eyebrows, those plush lips still curving in a wonderful smile. “I like the sound of that.”

“I’d be happy to jam with you any time,” said Rei. “Once we’d heard more about you kids here, we figured a jam session would be in order.” 

Ren’s smile melted from the charming into the genuine. “I’ll very much look forward to it. I’m quite the fan of your work.” 

“Oh?” Her kitten sly grin. “I’m surprised to hear that.”

His returning smile was equally sly and charming. “Why, Duchess! Your music is my favorite to relax to. I particularly enjoyed _Lush Life_ , and the live recording that you did in Chicago.”

A low whistle from Kaz. “Kid knows his stuff. That Chicago live was a limited release!”

“I’ll say.” The surprise on her face was clear. It was mingled with a tender shyness. “Thank you; it really means a lot to me. Well, not just to me, but all of us here in Indigo. I really hope that we’ll do amazing work with your seniors.” 

“I don’t doubt that you will in the slightest.” A quiet pause. “Your work has always been excellent - even when you first started. How was it like to work with A’Maze? Your work with her is so different from what you do with Indigo. It was before Indigo, wasn’t it?”

Ai was able to catch a 2% falter in her smile. There was a minuscule knitting of her brow, and her full lips turned down. Something about Ren’s question had made her uncomfortable. Odd.

Recovering, her smile trembled, quickly masked by a sheepish laugh. “My, but you are the true fan! I’m very flattered,” her voice settled into a cool purr. “My work with A’Maze, as you said, was very early in my career. I’m actually a little embarrassed by it,” and she chuckled. “I was so young; I had no idea what I was doing. I just charged ahead full speed. I listen to it now and cringe at how sloppy it was.”

Ren’s smile faltered, and he looked concerned. “Duchess, I apologize; I didn’t mean to embarrass you.” Gone was the smooth playboy nature, replaced with honest contrition. Evangeline waved a hand, her smile returning.

“Nothing to apologize for. It was an honest question from an honest fan.” Her smile was placid, like she’d let him in on a secret. Seeing that he hadn’t insulted her, Ren’s smile regained its smoothness.

“I’m pleased, then.” And, true, he did look much relieved. 

Ai had watched the exchange in silence, like the rest of the STARISH members and Quartet Night. His heart throbbed again at her smile. She was so honest - she could have been mean, she could have refused to answer his question. Neither response would have been out of line from what he had seen and heard of before. 

Odd. 

But intriguing. 

Taking advantage of the small silence, Otoya spoke up. “Sousa-san, Sousa-san!”

“Just ‘Paulo’ is fine,” chuckled the older man. 

“Can I watch you play the guitar sometime? I’m still learning but I really like your style!” the red-head’s words nearly tripped over one another in his zeal to speak. 

“Of course!” said Paulo, running a hand through his curly hair. “You can play with us too, if you’d like.” 

Tokiya alone held back, glancing over at his seniors. Reiji was uncharacteristically quiet, almost pacing. Camus and Ai hung back, while Ranmaru, with his characteristic scowl, seemed to be sulking at the back of the room. With moderate concern in his eyes, he walked over to Reiji.

“Kotobuki-san?”

“Rei-chan!” Reiji automatically answered.

With a sigh, Tokiya spoke again. “Kotobuki-san, aren’t you going to talk to Moody-san?”

For a flickering, the brunette’s gaze was serious, quickly replaced by his sunbeam smile. “I talk to Evie-chan all the time. I want my precious juniors to get to know her as the wonderful person she is!”

Tokiya crossed his arms, watching his friends ply the members of Indigo with questions. “She is a very talented woman.” _Once again, Quartet Night is giving us a challenge._ Tokiya allowed himself a small smile. “I’m looking forward to hearing your collaboration with her.”

_________

Eventually, the questions died down, and the boys of STARISH, amid many promises, handshakes (and one last bear hug from Natsuki), left to continue their day, Tomochika heading out with them, citing a new photoshoot. Haruka lingered for a moment, with a slight wave to Evangeline, before departing as well. Quartet Night, sans Reiji, had filed out first, with Camus stating that they had to get back to work. 

“Reiji, are you not coming with us?” Ai had stayed behind, his cyan eyes scanning the room. For idle moments, he watched the musicians packing up. Watching Evangeline as she moved easily from band member to band member, joking, talking. She seemed lighter. 

“Mmm?” Reiji had stayed in his corner of the music room, and appeared to be equally distracted by watching the musicians pack up. “I’ll be there in a minute, Ai-Ai! What did you think?”

Ai paused. “They require more research,” he said, at length. “But I do not dislike their music. Evangeline Moody is an odd woman.”

Reiji looked sheepish, and rubbed the back of his head. “I think it’s best if she doesn’t hear you say that, Ai-Ai!”

“I did not mean it in a negative way.” Ai paused, his mind searching for the right words. He was more than a little flustered when he realized that he could not find them quickly enough for a sufficient response. Instead, he repeated, “She requires more research.” 

“That’s fair,” and Reiji shrugged, realizing that he wasn’t going to win this particular battle. The fact that neither Ranmaru or Camus had stayed after to yell at him was indicative that Indigo’s performance had gone over well. 

Her bass secure, Evangeline reached into her pocket, retrieving her pack of cigarettes. 

“Gonna head outside first, guys,” and she pulled a cigarette out, lifted it to her lips. “See you in a bit-”

“Evie-channnn. No smoking in the Master Course dorms,” Reiji chided, taking this as his perfect opportunity to step in, “Or on the grounds. Or ever, around me,” added the last bit with a charming wink, and deftly plucked the cigarette from her lips, and made it vanish.

The other members of Indigo shared uncertain looks. Evangeline’s brows twitched. Torn between childish amusement at his sleight of hand and enraged from having her cigarette taken from him, she gaped at him – before he tapped something silver against her lips.

“Gum’s better,” he offered. “Mint.”

She sputtered, her cheeks turning red. Her brows knit, her mouth turned down, and the members of Indigo prepared themselves for a storm. Discreetly, they filtered out, quiet as mice.

All of her sputtering simply deflated under Reiji’s innocent smile.

“…You win, Kotobuki,” she sighed with resignation. “I’ll give it a shot.” Unwrapping the gum, she folded it into her mouth. Took a few experimental chews. Looked at him, raising an eyebrow, and then, shook her head, chuckling.

“Thanks.”

“Any time, Evie-chan.” He looked at her warmly. “I-”

“Moody, you coming?” Junchiro’s voice rasped from the doorway. He drummed his fingers against the doorframe, looking at Reiji, then at her.

“Wait a minute - Kotobuki, you wanted to say something?”

Reiji looked at her, then at the tall man in the doorway. His smile remained, but cooled.

“Ah, no, Evie-chan - I’ll see you in a little while, right?”

“Of course!” She smiled at him, then walked past him. He watched her go, catching the fragrance of her perfume as it whispered behind her. He stood; bounced his hands against his legs. Then walked to the window, watching the circular driveway below. Outside, Evangeline was speaking with her band mates, hugging one after another in turn, enduring ruffles of her hair. One by one, the band left, with only Junichiro lagging behind. 

Junichiro and her spoke a while longer, leaning against a parked car. They were side by side, and, bringing the smile back to Reiji’s face, occasionally she blew a massive bubble with her gum, punctuating their silent conversation. One bubble too many, and Junichiro leaned over and deftly popped it. Reiji had to stop himself from laughing, watching her clear annoyance as she dabbed bits of gum away from her cheek. His smile faltered. Junichiro was standing closer to her now, carefully picking pieces of gum from her cheek. 

Maybe he was looking into it too deeply. Evie-chan did have gum all over her face; she couldn’t have gotten it all. It just seemed…closer than normal, the way Junichiro was taking his time, the way he smoothed her hair behind her ear.

Really, he was looking into it too deeply.

Wasn’t he?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Suggested Listening:
> 
> Little Marylou - Katteni Shiyagare: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kijirwhcnT4
> 
> My Life - Katteni Shiyagare: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YCgjJuPFPI
> 
> Lush Life - Dana Owens: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7NedaQZDsI
> 
> As a little aside, I pretty much envision Indigo as a cross between Katteni Shiyagare, Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, and The Seatbelts.
> 
> ...Jesus christ it is so HARD writing for all like fifty million members of STARISH.


	4. Dance in the Sweet Memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I was going to wait and post this "entire" chapter, until I realized that:
> 
> A. I'm still working on the same chapter, 
> 
> B. This chapter is way too long, and needs to be broken up
> 
> I think it'll be easier reading, and give myself time to see if I REALLY need all of this stuff. *shrug*

For the duration of the collaboration (and since it was his idea), Reiji promptly announced that he and the rest of Quartet Night would be spending most of their time in the dorms, just as they had before the Triple S. He’d waited until the last minute to make the announcement (largely to cut down on protests from Camus and Ranmaru - and to his credit, it mostly worked. Mostly.), and after the performance, and their respective jobs, the rest of the day had been spent getting back into the dorms. This go round, there was no sharing of rooms (largely in part as a deal to sweeten Camus’s and Ranmaru’s already sour dispositions), and they were all on the same floor as Evangeline. 

So, now all moved into the dorms again, Reiji found himself with a lot of free time.

He was hardly able to sleep the night of Indigo’s performance. He’d gone out for a walk (deliberately passing by her door to see if she was in. Her things were there, so that was something) he’d gone by the music room, he’d grabbed a midnight snack (and passed by her door again - she still wasn’t in), and, finally, as sleep continued to elude him, started going through all of his previous songs. 

Shining hadn’t elaborated on just _how_ the collaboration was to work, and after the performance, they’d all been so busy that he hadn’t had a chance to find out what Evangeline might have had in mind. The only thing that he really knew for sure was that at some point before the performance, she’d texted all of them, introducing herself, and asked for them to pick their favorite song. She’d reiterated that at the performance - and then nothing. He’d supposed it would make sense. There was a lot to take care of, after all.

He fought a huge yawn as he absently paced by her room again. The door was closed. He felt his spirits lighten. 

______

Reiji woke to the sound of a piano. Blearily rubbing his eyes, he glanced over to his clock. It was two in the morning. Thinking that it was perhaps his imagination, he rolled over, pulling his pillow closer to his cheek.

Then he heard the music again - and it was familiar. Sitting up to full wakefulness now, he got out of bed, trying to rake his hair down into place. Tiptoeing down the hallway, the music grew louder, slipping through an open door.

“Haruka-chan shouldn’t be up this late,” he mused, with a light click of his tongue. His thought stopped almost the moment he had it. Haruka wouldn’t be on this floor. And the last he recalled, the only room that had a piano in it on this floor was Evangeline’s. He had to stop himself from dashing down the hallway. Her door was open, but only just so. Slipping his head in, he coughed lightly. The music abruptly stopped. 

“Was I playing too loud?” Her voice was smoke and honey. 

Stepping all the way in her room, he shook his head. “No, no! I thought I was dreaming it. But if this is a dream, I don’t want to wake up, my girl.” 

A soft laugh. “Silver tongue.” From behind the piano, a shining crown of black hair shifted. It was a neat change of subject. Not dejected in the slightest, he closed the door behind him.

“Just in case,” he said. “Ran-ran’s quite the grouch if he gets woken up.”

“Then I was playing too loud,” she sighed, not of annoyance, stepping from around the piano. Even at this late hour, she was impeccably dressed, in a crisp white button down shirt, the sleeves rolled up at the elbow. A maroon tie was loosened around her throat. Black slacks with the creases pressed firm. Suspenders snapped jauntily over her shoulders, and black and white wing-tipped oxfords. On the edge of the piano was a fedora, a glistening emerald feather curving from the band. Reiji suddenly felt quite underdressed in his striped pajamas - but was thankful that he’d remembered to put his shirt back on before he left his room. “I honestly didn’t mean to wake anyone up. It’s so hard for me to get used to actually being awake in the day time.” She idly ran her fingers over the cool keys of the piano. “It seems like everyone is knocked out late at night, so I didn’t think anything of playing at my usual hours.”

Reiji sagely nodded, moving closer. With the door closed, the room had a warmer feel to it. Golden wall lights in the shape of moons and stars were carelessly hung on the walls. The lights appeared to be the only thing that were hers - aside from the piano that took up most of the space. Fighting a losing battle for space in the room was a twin bed with a deep red comforter neatly folded over it. In front of the provided loveseat, the small coffee table standard for each room was covered in music sheets, some half-filled out, others completed, others nearly blank. Long trails of incense smoke curled from the burner on top of the piano, scenting the room with traces of sandalwood. 

“You didn’t bring much,” he said at length, looking around. 

“I travel light.” She was sitting back down at the piano. A beat, and she began playing again. Reiji, not wanting to interrupt, walked over to the loveseat and sat down. Tilting his head back, he closed his eyes, losing himself in the music. Her playing was different now - it wasn’t as fluid as before. She’d play a few bars, hum something to herself, drum out a beat, then, he’d hear papers rustling. After a few moments of that, the music would start again. Curiosity getting the better of him, he stood up, and walked back over to the piano. She didn’t seem to register that he was standing there - she was writing furiously on a blank score pad, filling in music notes as she hummed. Next to one of her hands was a glass of amber liquid, ice slowly melting in it. He simply watching, taking it all in - and grinned at the wad of bright green gum stuck to the side of the glass. 

“Working?” He ventured, keeping his voice low.

“Of course,” she responded, her voice lighter than the intense expression on her face. “I’m on a deadline, you know.” She looked up at him, her eyes dancing. 

“Mmm, you’re so professional, Evie-chan - but you know, you don’t have to lie.”

“Lie?” The pencil stopped, and she looked up at him. Reaching over, she took a small sip from her glass, grimaced, then smiled. “Why would I be lying?”

“Because I know you were playing a STARISH song before I came in,” and, to kid her, he picked up her glass. One whiff, and he was coughing, setting it back down on the piano. “Evie-chan!”

“Honey bourbon. 95 proof. Little stronger than your rum and Cokes.” Her voice was buoyant in its teasing, a smile hidden in her eyes. “But you caught me. I was playing a STARISH song. _Still Still Still -_ it’s actually one of my favorites.” 

“It is a good song,” he hummed, mildly. “What you were playing just a moment ago was different.”

“Call it the skeleton of what I’m thinking about for you guys. But,” her eyes fixed on him, and she was moving to stand again, “it is well past time for all good idols to be in bed.” 

He mock pouted.

She pointed towards the door. “Out, Kotobuki. I’m not going to get in trouble for keeping you up.” Though the direction of her hand was firm, her smile was playful. 

“Can I get a good night kiss before I go?” He winked at her. 

“Out.” 

_____

**8 AM**

Reiji had heard that song before, he was sure of it, but he couldn’t quite place his finger on it. Sheet music tucked under his arm, he stopped in his tracks, tilting his head to one side to see if he could catch the tune better. Still nothing. With a slight shrug to himself, he kept his pace down the hallway, finding himself whistling along to the tune.

He wanted to prove that he would be reliable and work with her no matter what: after all, this had been his idea. And, to do that, he had to show that he was also on top of everything. She’d hinted at picking out their own songs, and he was going to roll with it. He hadn’t even stopped for breakfast. As soon as he felt that it was a reasonable hour (8 in the morning was reasonable!), he was up, showered, and dressed.

As he suspected, the music was wafting from Evangeline’s open door, tangled with incense smoke. He lifted his hand to knock, then thought better of it, watching the way her shining crown of hair shifted as she played. Though, to be honest, her head was nearly hidden by a collection of at least ten canned coffees. Still, this close, he could hear fragments of voice, playfully weaving in and out of the music. Recognition dawned on him, and, with a wide grin, he stepped in, singing nonchalantly:

_“I just dance in the sweet memories…”_

No change in the music - but a sweeter note added to it as she answered:

“ _In my pain your way of loving me…”_

He wasn't going to let it end here. Beaming ear to ear, he entered, singing the next line as he walked over to her piano.

_“I just dance in the sweet memories…”_

When her voice melded with his, he stood next to the side of the piano, smiling down at her. They finished out the song, singing to each other, until she brought it to a gradual end.

“Kotobuki - lovely to see you again. Although this hardly counts as getting some rest,” her voice was throaty and warm as her fingers stilled over the keys. “What brings you by so early?”

“The siren song of my girl’s piano,” he settled himself against the side of it, a few inches away from her. The corners of her lips curved up.

“And you’re not one to talk about sleep!” He made a show of standing on his tiptoes, looking past her and the piano. The small bed in the room was still perfectly made. “You haven’t been to bed at all, have you?”

She nonchalantly shrugged. “Used to working at night. It’s when I get my best inspiration, after all. I was going to take a nap this afternoon. Promise. But,” again with her subject changing. He was going to have to point that out to her. “I haven’t scheduled anything yet.” Her look was curious, asking without saying a word.

“I came by because I have the sheet music for the song I picked,” he held up the paper. “And I had the good luck of being able to sing with you for a bit.” His smile widened. “I didn’t know you liked anime.”

A chip in her practiced, cool face, and she laughed, warmly. “Don’t tell anyone; I don’t think I’d ever hear the end of it. But it’s how I picked up the language. Well,” and she played a few bars of the song again, “it helped fill in some of the gaps. But _Kimagure Orange Road_? Kotobuki, are you a secret romantic?”

“I didn’t think there was any secret about it,” he sat down next to her on the piano bench; handed her the sheet music. “I thought that _Dekiai Temptation_ would be best.” This close, he could catch the aromatic whisper of her perfume, feel the warmth of her leg against his. He stiffened, suddenly realizing that he may have overstepped an invisible boundary. This was too close; she was being a professional, despite whatever friendship they may have. There was still a distance there; they’d barely made it to polite small talking before now. He bit his lip; looked over at her. He halfway expected her to have a look of disgust on her face, or, at the very least, to have moved away to spare them both the embarrassment. 

But she hadn’t moved.

Still humming under her breath, Evangeline went through the pages, her dark eyes scanning the notes. The absent minded tune she breathed gradually turned into the first few notes of _Dekiai Temptation_ , before she was openly mouthing beats, a “badump ba ba ba,” that had Reiji leaning closer to her, looking at the sheet music with her.

“…I think I got it,” she said, at the end of a musical phrase. Filing the papers together, she tapped them against the piano, before settling them on the music stand on the piano. “I think I know why you picked this one. It’s got a great, quick pace, and it’s playful.” Turning to look at him, her knees bumped into his. Caught by surprise, he let out a nervous laugh, moving to allow more space between them. 

“Ach, I’m sorry,” she said, laughing. “Small bench. But thank you, for being so on top of this.” She let out a long sigh, and ran a hand through her hair. Curious, (and hoping his face wasn’t as red as it felt), he scooted back a bit further to be better able to look at her face. It was imperceptible, but her eyes looked duller. 

“You okay?” he ventured, resisting the urge to put a hand on her shoulder.

Placing her hands over eyes, she massaged them gently, her voice muffled. “Yeah, just a little tired. It’s rough trying to get used to this new schedule. But,” she pulled her hands from her face, and managed a smile, “There’s no rest for the wicked, as they say.”

“Evie-chan? Wicked?! I don’t believe it,” he leaned in closer, giving her a suspicious look.

“Oh, but I am, Kotobuki-kun,” she murmured, not moving back. Her eyelids dropped, and she pressed forward, pursing her lips at him. “I play wicked, wicked music, and reside in a world all for adults. Be careful. I might just lure you away.”

Reiji swallowed. His throat was suddenly dry. This close, he could feel the warm tickle of her breath against his face. Finding his nerve, he laughed, softly. 

“Maybe I want to be lured away into an adult world.” 

Their faces moved closer together, the playfulness dropping from hers as she studied his eyes. She would be the first to break, with a louder laugh, and put space between them again. 

“You, Kotobuki,” her voice was its normal dulcet manner, dodging, “are an incorrigible flirt, and I think working with you is going to be dangerous.”

“Dangerous?” He scooted forward again, using his pointer finger to draw a small circle on the top of her hand. “There’s nothing dangerous about me!”

She laughed, and slipped her hand from under his. “Kotobuki, Kotobuki,” she said, clicking her tongue at him. “You are something else. But I do have to thank you.”

“Thank me?”

“Yes.” She looked down at the keys before back at him. “Shining-san told me that you were the one that single-handed pitched Indigo for Quartet Night. And don’t think I didn’t see how upset the rest of your group looked when I was performing.” She gave him a steady stare, and he shook his head rapidly.

“No, no, Evie-chan! They weren’t mad at you, but at me! You see, we’ve been working with this one composer-”

“Nanami Haruka. She’s an amazingly gifted girl.” At his surprised expression, she turned and put her hands on her hips. “I did my homework. I was looking forward to meeting her, actually. Part of why I was playing her song last night. Getting an idea of how she hears things; to capture that sheer sense of joy she brings to her songs. I wanted to have the chance to compliment her firsthand for what she’s done for you, STARISH, and HEAVENS. That’s a hard act to follow. Plus, everyone seems very close to her. I’m a complete stranger that you dragged in. Trust me, it’s very intimidating.”

His surprise grew, bolstered by feelings of warmth.

“Evie-chan…”

“But it’s a good intimidating. It means I’m going to try my best to make sure that what I compose for you is worthy to be there. Worthy of Quartet Night.”

Without him saying a word, she looked over at him, fixing him to the spot with her dark eyes. “And worthy of you, Kotobuki.”

He found himself at quite a loss for words, torn between the sudden desire to embrace her, and to put her at ease.

So,” and she lightened her voice, “At any time, if I’m not doing so hot, you need to let me know. I trust you.”

“I..,” words finding him again, “…I trust you too, Evie-chan. And I can’t wait to see what you’ll come up with. Your music is…” He looked for the right words. “Cosmic. Soothing. I can’t wait to add my voice to it.”

She paused, and her expression melted into a bashful warmth. “…Thank you, Kotobuki.” As if remembering herself, she cleared her throat. “I’ll probably be living on coffee and ramen for the next two weeks.” Her voice was teasing.

“Evie-channnn, this is bad for you,” he picked up one of the empty cans, waved it at her. “You seriously can’t just live on coffee and ramen.”

“It wouldn’t be the first time, and I doubt it’ll be the last.” She leaned back and stretched, stifling a yawn. Leaning forward, she reached under the piano. Near her feet was a plastic convenience store bag. Fishing through it, she retrieved another can of coffee. Popping it open, she took a long swig of it, ignoring Reiji’s chastising look. 

“Ooo,” she shivered playfully, shaking her shoulders. “That’s the stuff. Expresso triple shot.” She turned back to the piano, playing a few notes of _Dekiai Temptation._  

“Coffee can’t take the place of a good night’s sleep,” he repeated, shaking his finger at her. “You need to take a nap.”

Her playing picked up, and she nodded to herself, “Ah!” 

He blinked, lost. “I just remembered - I’ve got the songs for you guys already, actually,” she stood up suddenly, the song stopping mid-note. “I was just expecting to hand these out tomorrow.  Believe it or not, I had intended to rest today. With your being here early, though, that makes my life a little easier.”

Swiftly moving across the room, she picked up a binder, thumbed through it. Picked out a few pages, and was moving back to the piano, holding them out for Reiji.

“You’ve picked out our songs already?” Reiji marveled, not even looking at what she’d handed him.

“Of course! I told you; I did my homework,” she shot him a playful wink with a wide smile.

Disarmed by that smile, Reiji could only nod blindly, before recovering his senses. “Evie-chan’s a true professional. Even if she has terrible, terrible habits.”

“I try to be, although I’m sure Kaz would disagree with you on the professional part. He’d whole heartedly agree with you on the terrible habits thing.” She was settling back down at the piano again. Mindful of him, she sat down gracefully, avoiding bumping her knees with his. Picking up on _Dekiai Temptation_ again, she played the chorus - before slipping, with a coy grin to him, into _Dance in the Memories._ He let out a soft guffaw, before allowing his eyes to slip closed, letting himself drift off into the sound of her.

“I should thank you, you know,” he said, opening one eye to watch her; wait for her response. She looked at him, her brows raised in question, but said nothing. “It was nice, you know, being able to go somewhere and just be me.”

“Oh?” It was less of a question and more of a statement, but she continued to play. Reiji suddenly felt very exposed, as if she’d swept aside a veil in that smooth quirk of her brows.

“Not that I’m not me when I’m with the group! It’s just…different. A good different. Like building on who I already am.” He ran his hand across the top of the piano. That’s why I knew your sound would be best for me - for us.”

She leaned closer now, trailing heady perfume behind her. “Thank you - that’s very flattering for an old fox like myself to hear.” She sing-songed her words, blending them into the line of the piano. Despite himself, he began to hum along again.

“You know,” she half spoke, half sang, “It’s strange to me to be here in Saotome Gauken. I never thought I’d be here again.”

“ ‘Again’?” His brows were raised, the song falling from his lips. Now, it was her turn to mirror his surprise.

“Shining didn’t tell you?”

“No - he just said that he was familiar with your music.” 

She sighed now, the sound melting into a single chuckle. “Years and years ago-”

“Moody-san?” Haruka’s voice drifted from the doorway. “Ah, Kotobuki-san! I didn’t know you’d be here!”

“…A story for another day,” Evangeline finished, then raised her voice. “Right on time, Nanami-kun.” Facing Reiji again, she gave him her usual smile, that world-weary expression that wrapped fingers around his heart and squeezed. “Please let the other members of Quartet Night that they’re to drop by. I’ll send out a text as well. I figured it would be easier for them to come to me than vice-versa. I know that this new single is going to take up the bulk of your time, but you still have other things scheduled. Nanami-kun, please come in.”

Nanami lingered in the doorway, her hands folded on her legs. “I can wait a few minutes, if you need the time.”

“Please - I’m just bothering Moody-san since we’ve got a special relationship,” Reiji quipped as he stood up, playfully waggling his eyebrows at Haruka. The younger girl smiled, a faint blush on her cheeks. Evangeline half-heartedly clicked her tongue, and stood up. 

“Kotobuki does have a special place in my heart,” Evangeline murmured, the crimson of her lips shaping the words with relish. Reiji stopped in his tracks; looked back at her. The sepia-skinned pianist merely smiled back at him, with a wink so quick he wasn’t sure if he saw it. 

Half-way between Evangeline and Nanami, he shook his head before making his way to the door. Giving Nanami a playful bow, he stepped past her. 

“Be good, my girls - and Evie-chan?”

The older pianist stood behind the piano bench, arms akimbo, the fringe of her bangs hanging jauntily over her eyes. “Mm?”

“You owe me a story.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I totally see Reiji as the type that binges on his time off watching anime from the 80s. Romantic comedies are his favorite. He'll totally talk your ear off about Maison Ikkoku or how Madoka was his childhood crush.
> 
> Recommended listening:
> 
> kokoko6891: Still Still Still - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reUwjHDBmj8
> 
> Meiko Nakahara: Dance in the Memories - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3FsbF_Aito
> 
> Showtaro Morikubo: Dekiai Temptation - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4gsvCnuNmQ


	5. A yellow bento

**Noon:**

There was a certain freedom in being roped into eating lunch with Reiji. 

For one, Camus was allowed to actually be annoyed. And annoyed he was - almost so much so that he couldn’t savor the sweet floral taste of his post meal jasmine tea. Reiji had run into Camus in the hallway, whistling some song and grinning from ear to ear. Camus, realizing far too late that he’d been spotted by the brunette, was effectively cornered. As misery loved company, he was only partially surprised to find Ai and Ranmaru already waiting for them in the lunch room.

The meal had passed as any other between the group had - Reiji chattering away a mile a minute, Ai listening, Ranmaru scowling. Reiji had talked about the weather, STARISH, A’Maze’s new single, and how he wanted to go for a drive to the beach sometime soon, while the weather was still nice. 

Notably, he didn’t mention a word about Indigo, or this Evangeline Moody. 

Which, Camus figured, may have been his way of avoiding an argument. He hadn’t spoken much to Reiji after Indigo’s performance. He’d wanted to take the time to process what he’d heard, and more than anything else, how he felt. The music had washed over him as cool and placid as a summer day in Permafrost. It was beautiful, elegant, and mature - none of the above which he associated with Reiji. How the chatterbox had stumbled across a group of such distinguished talent still baffled him. 

“Reiji, there is an additional bento next to you. Who is it for?” Ai’s clear, concise voice snapped Camus out of his reverie. 

“Oh, it’s for Evie-chan,” Reiji replied, patting the top of the box amiably. It was next to his leg, wrapped in bright yellow cloth. “I don’t think Evie-chan eats very well.”

Ranmaru sucked his teeth.

Camus set down his tea. “So you’ve seen her?”

Reiji’s expression faltered, as if he were caught at a lie, then instantly turned apologetic. “Yeah - I heard her playing the piano super early this morning. Then I went by before breakfast with my music for her.” From the _I just swallowed the sun_ smile that he wore, the meeting must have gone well.

“It’s rather unprofessional to keep such hours.” Camus looked up to the wall clock. “Here it is, well past noon, and she hasn’t bothered to contact us.” He took a slow sip of his tea, letting its sweetness roll over his tongue. “And to not have contacted the rest of the group with her plans…” Camus let his icy stare finish his statement.

Much to his honest surprise, Reiji only looked mildly perturbed. 

“Myu-myu, you misunderstand!” Reiji waved his hands back and forth. “Evie-chan’s a professional, really; she was planning on using today to rest and then was going to send us a message about a meeting tomorrow. I think she moved in the night of the performance: she looked really tired. But she’s already working on our song!”

Before he could stop himself, Camus felt his eyebrows raise. “Oh?”

Reiji nodded, enthusiastically. 

“You said she was not eating well, correct?” Camus set down his tea cup. Reiji nodded. “You’ll be bringing her this after we finish her, correct?” Another nod from Reiji. “I will join you. It will be a good opportunity to introduce myself,” Camus finished the last of his tea, savoring the honey-like dregs.

“I believe that this would be a good opportunity as well,” added Ai. 

Ranmaru snorted. “Ch’. Whatever.”

Camus felt his eyebrow twitch. “Please elucidate what you mean.” His tone was thin; razor sharp.

Ranmaru, who had been sitting with his arms folded carelessly behind his head, now slammed his hands down on the table. “I ain’t gotta elucidate nothin.’ This is a waste of our time. Her sound ain’t what we’re about.”

Camus rolled his eyes. “Since when have you ever offered constructive information on the sound of Quartet Night? All I seem to recall hearing from you are varying complaints.”

Ranmaru’s scowl deepened, and he stood up. His chair squealed harshly behind him. “What was that?”

“Ran-ran, Myu-myu! It doesn’t make sense to argue! Besides, I know we were all moved by the Chill Pulse; even you, Ran-ran. I saw it!” he playfully wagged a finger at Ranmaru. “All I’m saying is give her a chance. She’s here, she’s working really hard, and has our best interests in mind. And if you don’t like what she does, take it out on me, not her. I’m the one that insisted on her being here.”

This was not the first time that the depths of Reiji’s resolve had caught Camus by surprise, and he would never grow used to the sheer strength of faith that the brunette had. Ranmaru, ever disagreeable, seemed to be chastened by Reiji’s words, his frown settling into a thin line.

“Reiji’s logic is sound. Moody-san has a feeling of space, and I wish to see what she is able to develop for us.” Ai’s voice broke the temporary silence, and was the welcome mat that Reiji needed. Slapping the cyan-haired man on his back, Reiji beamed.

“That’s the spirit! Let’s go up and meet her!”

_____

Intermittent phrases of a piano slipped out, tangling with the smooth sound of Afro-Cuban jazz once they came round the hallway corner. Evangeline’s door was open, the music an invisible welcome. Reiji stepped forward, hardly able to contain his excitement. Camus watched, idly wondering where Reiji got all of his energy from. 

“Evie-channnnn,” Reiji sang out, rapping his knuckles against the open door. “It’s me! And I brought Ai-Ai, Myu-Myu and Ran-ran with me!” 

The piano paused. “Come on in!” And it began again, as intermittent as before.

The coffee cans had children. From the roughly ten cans from before, there had to have been close to 25 now, scattered across the top of the piano and lined up neatly on the floor. She was at the piano now, a cup of coffee at her left hand, her right, jotting down notes between playing the occasional note on the piano. Sheets of music lay across the floor.

Camus took one look at the mess in front of him, and could hardly control his disgusted frown. Then, he found himself struggling with the expression as she stood up.

 Her shirt was unbuttoned, hints of cream lace peeking from the gaped fabric. Her tie was loosened, and hung limply around her neck. Her suspenders were down at her waist, suggesting that she’d simply shrugged them off during the course of the morning. Her shirt sleeves were haphazardly rolled up to her elbows, exposing ink stained hands and arms. Wiping her hands off on her pants, she stepped forward, her smile broad.

“It’s good to meet you all, though it’s a bit earlier than I had originally intended.” She held out her hand. 

Ai was the first to take it. “Mikaze Ai.” 

“Pleased to meet you, Mikaze-kun.” Her fingers closed round his, gently squeezing before she released it.

Camus, startled by Ai making the first move, quickly stepped up. “Camus, of Permafrost.” He lifted her hand to his lips, ghosting them over her knuckles. Looking up from the warm sepia of her hand, he was rewarded with her lazy smile, a tantalizing secret tucked into their full corners. For once, his tongue felt heavy in his mouth. 

“Camus…” She trailed off, curling her fingers back into her palm, as if she was savoring the kiss. “It doesn’t feel quite right calling you ‘kun.’ In fact, it feels as if I should curtsey before you.” Her following laughter was warm, but not mocking. 

“ ‘Kun’ is appropriate, as you are performing the duties of a band leader.” Camus smiled, a shine in his chill eyes. Reiji gaped, startled at Camus’s deferential attitude. Ranmaru just scowled, crossing his arms. Camus, catching his actions from the corner of his eye, simply widened his courtly smile.

“Don’t mind Kurosaki. He has the manners of a boorish peasant.”

“Hey!” Ranmaru stepped forward, frowning. “I got manners. I just ain’t impressed, is all.” 

“Oh?” Evangeline’s eyebrows lifted. “Not impressed? Well, I’m sorry to hear that.” She stepped forward now. Camus artfully stepped out of her way, joining Ai, who had wisely decided to hang back for this exchange. Reiji, fearing the worst, began to move forward, but was held back by Camus’s hand across his chest. Reiji gave Camus a perplexed look, before Camus let an icy grin cross his face.

“No; I want to see what she says.” 

Reiji’s confusion was clear in his eyes, but he held back.

“Ch’, well, yeah. Your piano playin’s all right. You play too much stuff,” he added, with a huff. “Drums, piano, bass.”

“Oh,” and it was an exhaled laugh. “Well, Kurosaki-kun, I’ll make sure to stick to just one instrument at a time. I can’t have you getting confused on me.”

Camus bit back a chuckle. Reiji’s eyes were wide, scarcely believing what he was hearing. Ai watched, contemplative as always.

Ranmaru, shocked by her response, could only sputter.

“Now,” Evangeline spoke up, “I’m actually glad that you’re all here - even if it’s before I would have wanted. Kotobuki-kun, did you tell them anything?”

“Ah - just that you’d started working on the song.” 

“Yes, that’s true - so, there’s that,” and she smiled, folding her arms calmly. “So what I had in mind is this: since you’ve caught me by surprise, that means I’ve got a day free, Monday, for any of you to drop in for a session, if you’d like to get to know me better. However, I do plan on spending pretty much the entire day here in my room, working on your song. As I mentioned after the show, I’ve picked out jazz standards for the each of you - Kotobuki-kun’s already got his-, and I’d like to get your song choices by no later than tomorrow evening. That gives me and Indigo time to go over them, and for me to adjust the arrangements as need be. Any questions, concerns, Monday’s the time for them. Aside from that, I have a strict schedule that I'm going to be sticking to starting Tuesday. Accordingly, your schedules have been cleared as per my request. Kotobuki-kun,” and she pointed a slender finger at him, “Tuesday and Wednesday, I’m working with you. Thursday and Friday, I’ll be working with you, Camus-kun. Saturday and Sunday, I’ll be working strictly with Indigo. You’re more than welcome to sit in on these sessions, but your participation isn’t necessary. The following Monday and Tuesday, Mikaze-kun, I’ll work with you, and that Wednesday and Thursday, I’ll be working with Kurosaki-kun. Friday we rehearse. Saturday we record, Sunday, we present, and then I’m out of your hair. Doesn’t sound too bad after all, does it, Kurosaki-kun?” 

A quick wink thrown to the silver-haired man, and his cheeks flushed, before he huffed and looked away.

“Now, while the rest of you are here,” she quickly moved across the room, her gait nearly a skip, artfully dodging the coffee cans and sheet music across the floor. A sheet of music fluttered past Ai’s feet. Curiosity getting the better of him, he picked it up. “I’ll give you your songs,” Evangeline said. She crouched in front of the table briefly, before straightening up with a black binder in her hand. Dutifully, she handed a few sheets of paper to Ai, Ranmaru, and Camus. Camus, thanking her, allowed his eyes to drift over the song she’d given him.

French?

How…interesting.

Camus was taken aback. He’d hardly believed that this messy woman could put together a schedule so quickly - and then, he allowed himself a small smile. That had been his mistake, and one he was not intending to repeat.

“…Whatever,” grumbled Ranmaru, sheets of music bunched in his hand. Without so much as a word in passing, he was out the door. Evangeline watched him go, an unfathomable expression in her dark eyes. Her mouth, however, was set in the smallest of frowns. Camus, quick to notice, found his intrigue piqued all the more. Wanting to dispel any sourness that Ranmaru’s coarse behavior may have caused, Camus quickly spoke.

“…I appreciate the thought that you have put into this, Moody-san,” Camus purred, “and I am looking forward to hearing what you’ve come up with.” He dropped into an elegant bow. “Should I have any questions, I will be sure to come by tomorrow.”

“Please.” She waved her hand in a welcoming gesture to the chaos of the room around her. With a slight nod of his head, Camus departed, feeling the practiced cool of his smile slip. He wasn’t instantly familiar with her song choice: that alone bore further research.

“Evie-channn! I brought you lunch,” Reiji sing-songed, holding up the lemon yellow bento. “Make sure to eat it while it’s still warm, okay?”

“Kotobuki-kun, you shouldn’t have.” For a moment, her coolness chipped, and a warmth flushed in her cheeks. “Thank you.” Reiji beamed, absorbing her words as a flower absorbed sunlight. 

“I expect to see an empty bento the next time I come!” His words were cheerfully thrown over his shoulder as he left, waving all the while.

Watching him leave, Evangeline slowly shook her head, smiling, before turning her attention back to Ai. Lost in the sheet of music before him, the sound of her radio filled the gaps between them. 

“…What is this?” Ai asked, finally. He held it out to her, his face inquisitive. 

Sticking out her lower lip, her brows furrowed as she took the music from him. Dark eyes danced across the notes, before she suddenly let out a sharp laugh.

“Oh, this - it’s not your song, so please, don’t worry. Being back here…reminded me of a song I’d written years ago.” From the set of her mouth, Ai could discern that she was embarrassed. He considered his next words carefully, then spoke.

“Why would you be ashamed? It is an interesting piece - it has the feeling of the stars in it.” He handed the paper back to her, his fingers brushing against hers. 

Her reaction was quick, within .8 seconds. Her cheeks darkened, and that soft expression that she had seen when she looked at Reiji returned, deeper than before. Her world worn smile, endearing in its knowledge, was eased into an open bashfulness. “Thank you, Mikaze-kun.”

It took Ai a fraction of a second to decide that this smile was his favorite.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, if you're still reading! I'm still plugging away at this. The problem with not having a beta is that I have no idea if I'm getting too long-winded and it's dragging the story down. So, I'm just gonna keep writing it the way I have outlined, and hopefully it reads well!


	6. Week One - Monday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And so, the mad dash for Quartet Night's new single truly begins.
> 
> And Ranmaru is unhappy.

The benefit of waking up so early was that Camus could have a quiet, peaceful breakfast. Over his tea, he replayed the events of the weekend.

After receiving his song from Evangeline, he’d done a bit of research. It wasn’t a “traditional” jazz standard by his understanding of the term, but had been covered by notable jazz musicians. A version by Nina Simone was considered one of the most well known. He’d listened to the original, then Simone’s cover. He’d looked into the composer, compared the original sheet music to the arrangement that Evangeline had given him.

And still, he could not figure out why she had picked this particular song. Her arrangement was elegance beyond compare, showcasing a masterful understanding of nuance and subtly that had made him study the song with deeper interest. The more he attempted to practice, to unlock the mystery in what she had in mind, the more it alluded him. Instead, he found himself lost in trying to hear the complex, yet simple, arrangement that she’d come up with. It seemed that she’d written the song with his voice as a substitute for an instrument; which one eluded him. It was much easier, after trying to suss out what may have been on her mind as she’d written this (because, and he’d found himself pleasantly surprised, she’d written out each of their songs by hand), to delve into deeper research of the song and Evangeline herself. That, at least, had been quite enlightening. He’d sit on his findings till a more appropriate time; by waiting, he’d give her the opportunity to come forward on her own.

Still - she’d said that today would be an “open” session for those who had questions or last minute changes. He wouldn’t dream of changing the song (if anything, he was more intrigued by its utter inexplicableness), but he still had his own song to deliver. That had been part of his Sunday night. Spurred by his recent discovery, and by her own choice, it hadn’t taken him that long to determine which selection he’d wanted. Shuffling her song aside, he glanced down at the familiar notes of “Saintly Territory.”

_______

Her door was half-way closed, something that made the blonde pause in his steps. In the past, her open door was just that - open. He paused, unsure if he should enter. His patience would quickly pay off: from inside, he could hear her voice, it’s soothing caramel bubbling with restraint. Interested, he crept closer, standing just outside of the door. It wasn’t eavesdropping -a terrible, low-class habit-, but waiting a good opportunity to enter. After all, it would be rude to simply barge in.

“Kurosaki-kun,” her voice was gentle, conciliatory, but with an undercurrent of steel, “I get that jazz isn’t quite your thing. However, Indigo’s a jazz band, and that’s what we specialize in. I’ve picked out a few others for you, but they’re all going to be ‘jazz’ in some way, shape, or form. I think, though,” Movement. When her voice arrived, it was closer, “If you give it a chance, you might be quite surprised.”

A disgruntled snort - one that Camus was quite familiar with. While he would have expected Kurosaki to have raised some issue with the composer, he hadn’t expected it to be so early in the morning.

From the door, he could see her, moving in and out of his line of vision; a flash of her pinstriped pants, a white shirt rolled over her elbows. The sepia of her forearm and the warm tan of her palms. She was gesturing now to a stack of papers, haplessly piled on top of the piano. “My band’s familiar with them all. This is also about what you’re comfortable with, so I can get the best sound out of you. So, please -”

A flickering just out of Camus’s line of sight. A rippling of silver and black, and Ranmaru’s back was to the door. The stuttering silence between the two of them spoke volumes. She was clearly not backing down. In the face of such amicable strength, Ranmaru stood still. An unspoken battle waged between them, before Ranmaru broke, his face flushing. With a frown, he went through the papers over her piano, then to the sheet clutched in his hand. His expression darkened.

“…This is fine. It ain’t gonna make a difference anyway,” he finally spat.

“Good choice, Kurosaki-kun. While there were other options, I honestly think that this song best suits you.”

Camus bit back a soft chuckle. He tone was still kind; he could hear her moving, just outside of his line of sight. Then, half of her; the other half covered by Kurosaki’s body, his back still towards the door. She was shorter than the silver haired man, and though she physically looked up to him, the calmness of her presence made her seem taller.

“Even if you don’t like me, I do expect you to give this your all. The success of your group relies on the individual as well.” Her voice was soft, her expression not severe, but not a smile, either. The mention of the group made Kurosaki tighten his grip on the paper. He glared down at her. She gave him a soft, off-handed, “what can you do?” shrug.

“Quartet Night can make anything you throw at us, even yer worst crap, into a success. That’s how good we are,” and he jerked his hand to his chest. “Count on that.” With a huff, he stormed out, barely avoiding hitting Camus with the door as he charged out. Deftly stepped aside, Camus momentarily followed the churlish silver-haired man’s pace. A long sigh from inside of the room rapidly brought his attention back to it. With the door all the way open now, he could see Evangeline leaning against the piano, rubbing her temples. Her eyes were closed, and the corners of her full mouth were pulled into a straight line.

“Moody-san,” Camus spoke, tentatively stepping forward. “This might be forward of me, but may I apologize on behalf of Kurosaki. As I may have mentioned before, his manners are boorish at best, and he is resistant to change.”

“Mmm?” The throaty purr of her response drew a chill finger down the back of his neck - an entirely pleasant chill. Moving her hands away from her temples, she gave the blonde a warm, wan smile. “Oh, Camus-kun. Actually,” she pushed off of the piano, using her rear, “I should be apologizing to you. Honestly, I knew, and know, that you and Kurosaki-kun weren’t too thrilled about my coming in. Let me take the opportunity to apologize for whatever inconvenience that it might be, and please let me reassure you that I will do the best to create a fitting song for you.”

Ah. Back to the formal band leader. After catching the glimpse of her true self, Camus found himself quite displeased at her return to formality. It was far, far too long for his own liking for the meaning of her words to entirely sink in. Speechless, he pressed his tongue against the roof of his mouth, thinking of the best way to phrase his next statement.

“In equal truthfulness, Moody-san, yes, I was opposed to having a new composer come in, especially one that Kotobuki, for all appearances, arbitrarily picked.”

A return of that wry, wan smile, and Camus soldiered on. “But,” he said, stepping forward, holding up his sheet of music, “I was, and am, intrigued by not only the song that you’ve given me, but the ability of your band is beyond question.” Now it was his turn to give her a chill smile. “I’ve been proven entirely wrong. I look forward to what you will create for us, Moody-san. After all, everything must change.”

Her expression sharpened, her eyebrows furrowing. His hook had caught. Perhaps she would tell him.

“Did I say something wrong, Moody-san?” He kept his tone carefully neutral; curious.

Self-conscious, she laughed. No simple, polite giggle, but a loud, sharp sound, oddly melodic. “Not at all. ‘Everything Must Change’ is actually the name of one of my favorite songs. One of those weird association things, you know.” Her expression brightened, the professional facade melting away. “Have you heard it?”

Camus shook his head slowly. “I haven’t.”

She slipped back over to the piano, sitting down with a heavy huff. Without preamble, she played the opening phrase. Stepping further into her room, he deftly avoided the sheets of paper across the floor, the stacks of instant coffee cans. A flash of yellow caught his eye; Kotobuki’s bento. It was empty, and had been washed, the dull plastic shining. It sat as a beacon on the top of the coffee table, weighing down a stack of paper. Standing next to the piano, he closed his eyes, letting the music slip over him, pulling him into a cool, aquamarine world. He was still resistant, in his own way, to whatever that she might bring. But only a fool would fight that the woman had an incredible talent. It seemed almost a shame that it would go to waste. Kotobuki was in over his head - and it would be a sad price for the brunette to pay. Yes, this would prove to be an interesting experience, but lucrative? Ah, probably not.

Suddenly, the piano stopped. “Ah! The music!” She bolted up, holding her hand out to him. “I’m sorry! It’s just...it’s just,” she was leaning away from the piano now, tilting her head back, “It’s just such a wonderful, wonderful song. So understated, and yet, so powerful. The arrangement on it is just…wow,” she closed her eyes, playfully shaking her shoulders. “We’ll be here all night if I talk about this song. Thank you for humoring me,” and she was standing up, her hand touching his. He let his fingers linger over hers. For as dainty as her hands appeared, they were surprisingly rough, yet another contrast about her. Sitting back down at the piano, she studied the pages, before looking over at him. “Do you typically play the cello introduction?”

“Not in the live shows, no.”

“Mmm,” her throaty purr again. “I’ll keep it then. Thanks again for bringing this to me; I’ll start working on the arrangement for Indigo. Any questions for me about your song?”

A myriad of them rose to his tongue, but with a muted smile, he pushed them back. In time, he’d have his answers. For now, he was very content with seeing her facade slip. Maybe, beneath it all, she was as loose as Kotobuki. “No. Thank you, Moody-san. I look forward to working with you.”

She nodded, and gave him a cheerful smile, all artifice wiped clean. “Then I’ll see you around, Camus-kun.”

_________

Ranmaru Kurosaki was angry.

 

She’d never smiled at him, and it was pissing him off.

 

Yeah, she’d given him that little, “Oh, I’m so glad to be here,” polite bullshit smile, but not the way she’d smiled at Reiji, or at Ai. She’d even given that asshole Camus a real smile. Yeah, maybe he was being a bit of a dick to her, but she was yet another stranger brought in to change their sound, and no one had so much as bothered to ask him what he thought – just plopped this whole thing in his lap like he was supposed to be okay with it. And that performance? Like just one moment of calm euphoria was going to change his mind.

 

…But he had to admit, she was _good_. The way she moved from instrument to instrument was a mastery he’d only seen a few times in his performing career. She’d even given the piano, gentle as it was, a hard edge that made him pay attention. Seeing her move to strap on the electric bass was enough to send goosebumps dancing across his skin and set his teeth on edge. There was no way – and yet she’d done it, her fingers nimble across those thick strings, playing it like it was all that mattered in life. He’d fought with himself then, resisting the urge to run back to his room, grab his bass, and play against her, challenging her.

 

But whatever.

 

He looked down at the sheet music bunched in his hand. The song was good. He hated that it was good, hated that even though he didn’t even like jazz, he could hear the song in his head, hear the heavy thrum of the bass in her arrangement. It was one more thing to add to the list of what he hated about her.

 

He hadn’t come to start a fight. He’d wanted to give her song and be done with it. She’d taken it, looking over it with an infernal half-humming, half-singing that drove him insane. He wished she’d be done with it and either sing to him or ignore him all together. He wasn’t sure which he would prefer. After a forever of this, she’d only nodded, given him that plastic smile.

 

And that’s when the remarks sitting on his tongue finally fought their way out. He hadn’t meant to start a fight. It was unprofessional, to begin with, and the last thing he needed was a scolding from Reiji about insulting his little usurper composer. Besides, she’d said herself that if anyone had concerns, they could bring them up with her today. Maybe a part of him had hoped that he’d push her so far into anger that she’d end up laughing, share a smile that was real and her and of all of her music. But no – she’d been as calm as ever, that phony smile caked on harder. Before he could even try to push harder, Camus had come in, and the fight he’d been spoiling for was done. She was different from Haruka; Haruka was nice and agreeable, and knew what he wanted. This one? She was stubborn. Too stubborn. Haruka was stubborn too, but she was nice stubborn. This woman was superior stubborn; like she knew everything about everything. What made everything worse was that deep down, he knew that Camus showing up had kept him from complete devastation. They, him and Moody, could have argued, and he knew that she’d stand her ground because she was so goddamn right.

 

But just because she was right didn’t mean that he was going to roll over and take it. Wednesday and Thursday of the week after this, he was going to _wreck_ her.

 

_____

 

 

What she was playing now was decidedly unlike anything else he’d heard from her.

 

The radio was off, and the piano’s notes tripped over themselves, reminding him of bees in flight, swiftly meandering absolutely nowhere. Somehow, the discordant notes wound together, and Ai could hear a clear meaning, then the notes were back to chasing each other, in a meaningless jumble. Her head was down low over the piano, her eyes closed.

 

He waited, both waiting for an opportune moment, and allowed himself to listen. Following a pattern only she could hear, the jumbled song melded into yet another. Familiarity tugged at the corners of his mind. But before he could fully place the song, the music abruptly stopped. She softly swore; stood up.

 

Thinking this to be the best opportunity, he knocked gently on the door, though it was open. She was facing away from the piano, still on the bench. Slumped forward, her face was in her hands. About her feet were crumpled balls of sheet music - even from where he stood, he could see the heavy dark lines of her scrawled writing. She lifted her hands from her face with a monumental effort, staring out the window. Moonlight slipped through the latticework, etching geometrical patterns on the floor.

 

Ai studied her. He had never seen this sort of frustration from a composer. Perhaps Reiji’s faith was ill-founded. He knocked again, a bit louder this time.

 

Startled, she whirled to face him, her hands falling to the piano seat. Oh, Mikaze-kun!” Her eyes darted to the wall clock, then back to him. “I wasn’t expecting anyone so late.”

 

“Previous encounters have lead me to believe that this time of night is optimum to converse with you. I know it’s outside of the parameters of the times that you set yesterday, but as you are most active at night, I thought that this would be best.” He stepped forward, music in hand. At her expression, he quirked his head to the side. Her cheeks were flushed, and she endearingly bit the corner of her lower lip. Her eyes flickered to the piano, to her hands, and then back to him.

 

A fascinating reaction. “Was I amiss?”

 

“No, not at all,” she stammered, moving forward. Her attire, he noted, had scarcely changed since he last saw her. The tie was now gone, and the shirt unbuttoned lower, exposing more of the cream chemise beneath. The lace looked wilted, folding against her skin. Her suspenders were still down around her waist, and she was in ruby-toned socks, her shoes discarded near the piano. “If anything, I should be apologizing. Tomorrow, though, I’m going to do my best to get back to a waking hours schedule. I need to be more accommodating, it would seem.” Her smile turned knowing, and her gaze distant.

 

Ai picked apart each feature, the crease of her brow, the dips of her lips. She clearly was referencing something that had occurred earlier; perhaps something with Ranmaru. It seemed to be the most logical conclusion, as Ranmaru had been in a fouler mood than usual that day. Being upset was a waste of time; Shining Saotome had agreed to this composer, and there was nothing else to be done. It was a job.

 

His stillness must have unnerved her, because she began to fidget. “….Was there anything else, Mikaze-kun?” In her tone, there were multiple different ways to read what she was saying. Fascinating, how tone could take on so many variants.

 

“No. I find your song choice acceptable. We will be working together soon - any additional problems will be identified in rehearsal and absolved then.”

 

She quirked her head at him, looking at him through slightly squinted eyes. Then, with a shake of her head, she reached over and took a long drink from a can of coffee. “Well, then,” she said, after swallowing, “I’ll see you next week. And don’t come by so late,” this was said with a slight smile. “Idols need their sleep. I told Kotobuki the same thing.” By the way her voice savored Reiji’s surname, there was familiarity, friendship there. It was pleasant to hear.

 

“…Yes, a good night’s rest is very beneficial. For everyone.” He hoped that he had put in the right amount of inflection in his voice for her to concur that he was referring to her as well. By the way she smiled at him, lips wrapped around the edge of her coffee can, he felt that she had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god I updated this in less than an eternity. I am, truly, trying to get to a schedule for this.
> 
> Suggested listening:
> 
> "Saintly Territory" - Maeno Tomoaki: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhyAKRRIa5M
> 
> "Everything Must Change" - Bernard Ighner with Quincy Jones: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pn9LPbFReQ


	7. Week One - Tuesday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reiji's the first up for rehearsal - and it doesn't really go the way he thought it would have.

**8 AM**

“All right,” Evangeline was stepping forward confidently, kicking the cord of the bass out of the way, “Let’s play through. Only rule this go round is to have fun with it. No looking at the clock. You feel the need for a solo, you go for it. Play through mistakes – if you can hear them, you bet I can, and I’ll be making note.” She turned and gave her band an appraising look, one that was met by comically exaggerated “Yes mom’s” and eyerolls. Narrowing her eyes playfully at them, she pointed a finger. “None of your lip; this is one of the few times I’m going to go easy on all of you.”

 

“ ‘Easy,’ she says,” chuckled Rei. “There’s no such word in your vocabulary.”

 

“We have someone new here,” she fired back, “And we don’t want to scare him off.” A quick wink in Reiji’s direction, and he felt the tips of his ears heat up.

“Don’t change things because of me, Evie-chan!” he called out, hoping his hands weren’t as sweaty as they felt. “No special treatment.”

 

“Kid, you better take it while you can,” sighed Kaz. “It won’t last long.” The rest of the band shared knowing chuckles, adjusting their instruments and stances.

 

“All right, boys – you got the energy to sass me, you’ve got the energy to knock this out of the park. Kotobuki, you cue us into the song.” She took her place behind him, her face quickly settling from a playful grin to one of utmost seriousness as she shifted the bass across her shoulders. Maracas in hand, Reiji gave them an experimental flick. Took in a deep breath to steel himself, closing his eyes for a moment. Opening them again, he stole a glance at Indigo behind him in the glass in front of him. They were standing ready, an alertness that was palpable. Another deep breath to steel himself, then, with a bright grin, he lifted the maracas, and shook them, cueing the song.

 

___

 

**1 PM**

 

She had so much _energy_.

He found it harder to focus on his singing. She was a mad woman on the bass; a completely different person from what he’d seen before. During her sets with Indigo, she played cooly, with a confidence that fed into the energy. She barely moved from the piano or from the double-bass. But now, with the electric bass in her hands, she was dancing, smooth steps away and to the microphone. Once they hit the cue for the bass solo, she played as if she was a woman freed, leaping up into the air as the brass section took over again. More than once, he’d been surprised to feel her voice joining his to round out the chorus, the sweetness of her own singing rubbing against the rasp of Junichiro’s shouted backings, deepening the sound.

 

And she wasn’t alone – Indigo, as he’d seen them, were chill in their reserve, a too cool for school attitude that made their music all the more sophisticated. Now, they looked like children on a playground. Rei did a quick one-two step, quickly mimicked by Shinobu, then Reiji would look away for a moment, and then look back, to see the entire brass section doing the same dance steps in sync, taking scant seconds to smile at each other before falling in again. The notoriously stoic Junichiro included incredible flourishes on his drumming, twirling his sticks in-between beats. Each of them were playing on a shared, higher wavelength, that allowed for each member to take the thread of the song in the direction that they pleased. Whenever someone would take the opportunity to launch into a solo, all Reiji could do was stand back at the microphone, his cheeks stiff from smiling so hard. They’d shout encouragement to each other, Evangeline lapsing into English, Paulo, a sultry Portuguese.

 

When she first turned her bass to him, her eyebrows lifted in quiet encouragement, Reiji was caught by surprise. Wielding his maracas, he lost himself in the music. When the familiar, final guitar solo started, Reiji was again caught by surprise to find it turning into a dueling of Paulo on guitar and Evangeline on the bass, bolstered by a steady stripped down drum beat, the occasional flourish of a trumpet, of a saxophone, goading one or the other on. On some unspoken cue, the two finally brought the song to a close, Evangeline doing a slow spin, bass gripped tightly. The last notes reverberated in the studio, and Evangeline had her head tilted back, eyes closed. Paulo was the first to break the silence with a crowed, “YEAH!” that echoed off the walls, his rough applause following.

 

Evangeline, opening her eyes, let out a long exhale, and wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand. For those unguarded moments, Reiji felt his heart swell, watching her. She was someone completely different; so carefree, so amazing…

 

After the first play through, she’d spoken with each member, quietly correcting the flaws she heard in their performance. Her comments were in depth and thoughtful - as she spoke to each member, the others would visibly relax, rolling shoulders, adjusting instruments. By the time they’d played through the song again, her comments were more simple: “More energy,” “Let the music breathe.”

 

To Reiji, she’d simply said, “Good,” and laid her hand firmly in the center of his chest. He was startled at the intimate contact, his heart fluttering - and as quickly as she’d done it, she’d moved on to the rest of the band, speaking partially in Japanese, partially in English. Her hands moved constantly, illustrating where her words failed her. Even though her comments weren’t directed at him, he found himself listening, entranced. She’d moved from this vibrant being to a capable, confident leader - the advice she gave constructive and the praise high. He figured he was grinning like a fool by the way the other band members looked at him, but it didn’t matter. This was exactly what he wanted - no, it was better than what he had originally expected. Quartet Night was going to shine even brighter than before.

 

“All right, guys,” Evangeline said, finding her voice again. The glowing Evangeline faded, replaced with the calm bandleader. “I think we got this one down.”

 

A quiet flicker of surprise passed through Indigo, with Junichiro the only one not affected. The band looked to him, cautiously. He gave a grave nod. At that, the remaining tension left evaporated, and ensuing laughter and congratulations spilled forth. Reiji felt himself neatly “tossed” from member to member, words of praise showering down on him with accompanying backslaps.

 

“The infinite time is the charm, right, Evie-chan?!” He turned to her, his gray eyes sparkling. She was lifting the bass from her shoulders, rolling her neck from side to side. To his unrestrained enthusiasm, she smiled.

 

“Oh, we’re not done yet, Kotobuki-san. We still have the song I picked for you.” Lifting her voice, she added, “Take five. When we come back, we’re working on _Is You Is or Is You Ain’t My Baby_. Kotobuki-kun, I expect a knock out performance.” The last bit was said with that quick wink of hers, so sudden it was almost a trick of the light. Reiji felt his cheeks warm, but cared little to cover up for it.

“Of course, Evie-chan!”

 

_____

 

**10 PM**

 

She didn’t wait for the performance to come to it’s natural end before she was stopping it. Reiji paused, swallowing hard. The energy from the earlier practices had faded, leaving behind a tautness in the studio that was palpable. He could hear no error in Indigo - for as much as they’d adapted to the pseudo-disco sound of _Dekiai Temptation,_ this was definitely more of their territory. And he could tell she was doing unspoken things to accommodate him. When he faltered through the first verse, she’d brought Indigo to a halt, suggesting a faster tempo. They’d adjusted accordingly - but still, something was off to her ear. She didn’t say anything directly to him, but he could see the frown deepening on her face with each abortive run.

 

Now, in the oppressive silence, her eyes were closed, and she rubbed her temples in slow circles, leaning against her double bass. “I’m stepping out,” she said. Her tone was cool - not clipped or short, but dammning in its calmness. “Everyone, take five.” Without a second word, she was on her feet, and nimbly pacing out of the room. Junichiro was quick behind her, walking briskly to catch up. The remaining members of Indigo shared knowing looks.

 

She’d left before Reiji could even say anything.

 

Noting the look of utter dejection on Reiji’s face, Kaz stepped forward, nudged the younger man. “Why don’t you show me where I can have a good smoke, kid?”

 

Still frozen to the spot, Reiji half-heartedly said, “No smoking on the grounds…” His gray eyes were locked to where Evangeline had sat, moments before, at her piano. The other members of Indigo moved as if they were underwater, a quiet tension in the air. Kaz nudged Reiji harder, enough to jar the younger man forward.

 

“It wasn’t a request, kid. Come with me.” Kaz tugged Reiji out of the music room, not missing a beat as Reiji stumbled before his stride fell into pace with Kaz’s.

 

_____

 

Kaz was gifted with an uncanny sense of direction. The trumpeter had half-lead, half-tugged Reiji to the back of the school grounds, to where a man-man pond glittered in the moonlight. Past the clean white arches of the gazebo, Kaz had brought them close to the water’s edge. Without saying a word, with practiced, calm hands, he found his cigarettes, and brought one to his mouth.

 

“…You okay?”

 

Kaz’s voice finally broke through, and Reiji, with a short, self-conscious laugh, rubbed the back of his neck.

“Evie-chan is very…” he paused, searching for the right word. He didn’t know where he’d gone wrong. He sang the song with as much feeling as he could muster, thinking back on the other versions of it that he’d heard. Though the English was a little rough at times, he’d soldiered through it. “Very…exacting,” He supplied, hoping that the smile on his face didn’t show the strain he was feeling.

 

“Kid, you have no idea,” Kaz clapped him sympathetically on his shoulder. “Moody’s a slave driver. When she gets mad, it’s like the whole world goes cold.” Kaz shuddered, a rippling of his broad shoulders. “When it gets that bad, usually Junichiro’s the only one that can talk her down.” Kaz’s stubby fingers were wandering across his pants, looking for his lighter. Finding it, he brought the blue and orange flame to life, lit his cigarette, and inhaled with a sound that was similar to a sigh. “Honestly,” and taking care to exhale away from Reiji, “You’re getting off pretty easy.”

 

“Easy?” Reiji put a few inches between him and the trumpeter, resisting the urge to fan the smoke away from his face. Out here, the smoke was carefully lifted away by the breeze. Kaz’s eyes shifted from the pond back to the brunette as he laughed.

 

“Oh, yeah,” Kaz took a smaller inhale, held the smoke before letting it slip from his nose, “Her temper tantrums used to be the thing of nightmares. Yelling, swearing - she’s thrown drumsticks, sheet music. Nearly got me on the temple with a shoe once,” he tapped the side of his head. “Half of my gray hair is because of Evangeline Moody. The fact that she didn’t raise her voice once at you means that she’s sweet on you."

 

Sweet on him?

 

Reiji hoped that his cheeks weren’t as pink as they felt. Apparently they were, as Kaz let out a deep belly laugh. “Don’t tell me you didn’t know that she liked you, Kotobuki! She never would have agreed to this gig if she didn’t.” He dropped his cigarette, grinding it out under his heel.

Kneeling to retrieve it, he dutifully tucked the butt into a pocket. “She re-arranged all of our gigs for the next month to make sure she had enough time cleared for this. Two days after she finishes up here, we’re all back to South Korea. The fact that she could get even two weeks free is incredible. She was on the phone for hours with studios, singers, producers.”

 

Kaz dusted off his hands before turning to face Reiji. “She’ll kill me if I tell you this, so this stays between us.” He leaned over conspiratorially, dropping his voice to a stage whisper. “The second time you went to _Tunisia_ , she started listening to Quartet Night constantly. I think I was hearing _Evolution Eve_ in my sleep. If you hadn’t had pitched us working with your group, I think she would have once things calmed down. Once she gets a bug about something, she doesn’t let it go. So hang in there. I can promise you you will never meet anyone in your professional career that will push you as hard as Evangeline Moody will, but I can also promise you that you’ll never sound better. She has a way of bringing out this…I dunno, deeper star quality in everyone she works with. I thought I’d reached my personal best when it came to playing my trumpet, and every time we play one of her pieces, I surpass what I thought was my limit. Besides,” his smile was brotherly; a far cry from the easy-going grin that he usually sported for the audience, “we’ve all been there with her. There have been times where I thought I was going to strangle her; quit the band. We all know the deal; if you ever need to vent, you can always talk to me or any of the other guys in the band. Maybe not Junichiro, though. He’s just as much as a hardass as she is. Man, when they argue, talk about the end of the world. She actually threw a cymbal at him once.” With his left hand, Kaz mimicked the smooth parabola of a frisbee. “Junichiro ducked just in time; she had to pay for the damage to the studio out of her pocket. Think that’s the only reason why she hasn’t done it again,” and he laughed, both out of relief and of memory.

 

Reiji was shocked still; his mind still whirring over what Kaz had just told him. The trumpeter was describing a woman he’d never met; a firebrand that was dedicated to a particular sound. The Evangeline that he knew was kind, gentle, warm, friendly. Her quiet disappointment over the last few rehearsals had been akin to someone slowly turning off the sun. But underneath it all, she was supposedly _sweet_ on him. What did that really mean? Sure, they were friends – weren’t they? He found it hard to answer that question. He thought they were. But her being sweet on him? Never in a million years -

 

“Kid? You okay?” Kaz’s voice was miles away. Shaking his head, Reiji rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. He could feel the tension drawing the muscles tight in his shoulders and neck.

 

“Sorry, sorry, Kaz!  I was just thinking; that’s a lot of stuff to take in.” His smile sobered as he focused on the moonlight over the water. “I had no idea about any of this – she’s always been so cool and calm around me – uh, I mean, us, the group! Even when Ran-ran was being his gruff self, she never got sharp with him.”

 

He was quiet now, enjoying the slight breeze. His thoughts slowed, allowed him to focus on one thing at a time. The weight of Kaz’s words began to creep in; make sense. “…I didn’t know she was so busy. That you all were so busy.” Facing Kaz again, he felt his smile bloom from his heart, and put some space between them. Bowing from the waist, he spoke again, “Thank you so much.”

 

Kaz’s hand was warm on his shoulder. “No sweat, kid. We go where she goes, but if this turns out the way I think it is, she’s the one that you should be thanking. The fact that she’s mad, believe it or not, is a good thing. It means she hears potential - something close to what she thinks the music should sound like. Since she likes you,” another sly smile from the older man, “she’s probably going to call it a night when we get back so you can start fresh tomorrow. If I were a betting man, I bet that if you go to her room after rehearsal’s over and ask her what she wants, she’ll tell you. Especially since she’s had the time to calm down.”

 

Reiji felt a little warmth creep back into his smile. “I’ll have to try that.”

 

_____

 

Kaz apparently was a betting man, because as soon as they made it back to the music room, they were greeted by the sight of the other Indigo members packing up. Evangeline and Junichiro were nowhere to be seen.

 

“Ah, Kotobuki-kun,” started Paulo, as he carefully closed his guitar case, “Evangeline said we’re done for the night. Rehearsal starts tomorrow morning at 8 sharp.” He looked past Reiji to Kaz with a furtive look. Relieved by what he saw in the trumpeter’s round face, his expression lost a little of its worry. “She said calling it early would give everyone a break.”

 

“ ‘Early,’ she says,” sighed Kaz, overly dramatic. “You mean before dawn?”

 

Paulo laughed. “Yeah, I know. Good for us - I’m exhausted. Hey, Kotobuki-kun,” and he was crossing the floor, guitar case clasped in his hand. With his free hand, he lightly clapped Reiji on the back. “Don’t worry. She gets like this. It’ll be fine in the morning. Sleep on it and don’t let it stress you out. Right, guys?”

 

The remaining members of Indigo nodded sagely. Touched by their quiet solidarity, Reiji’s smile returned. “Tomorrow I’ll be better than I was today!” he said, nodding briskly.

 

“That’s the spirit,” Paulo replied, leaving with an additional clap to Reiji’s back. “See you tomorrow!” The remaining members filed out of the room, leaving Reiji and Kaz alone. Kaz, his trumpet put away, stood at the door frame.

 

“Go on and talk to her,” he jerked his head in the direction of her door. “And remember what we talked about. Hang in there. It’s going to be worth it.”

 

______

 

Her door was open, and piano music flowed through, a rough phrase smoothing out as she went along. Rapping lightly on the door, the music continued. He took a deep breath, then knocked harder. The music stopped, and she looked up.

 

“Kotobuki-kun,” the warmth was back, one friend speaking to another. It was so unexpected after the rehearsal that he found himself locked to the spot. Remembering why he was there, he stepped in, and walked over to the piano. Leaning over it, he clicked his tongue at her. Her collection of coffee cans was growing.

 

“Evie-chan…” He started, then stopped. How would be the best way to bring it up? Taking a deep breath, he decided that being direct would be best. “Evie-chan, do you like the ocean?”

 

“The ocean? Why, yes, I do, but-”

 

His grin took on a playfully wolfish grin. “Let’s go for a drive.”

 

Somehow, she’d caught his unspoken request. Her returning smile was gentle. “That sounds wonderful.”

 

 

 

His car was flooded with the smell of her perfume. Sweet and smoky, it was exhaled by her skin, her every movement releasing fresh tendrils of it. It was hard not to be distracted by it, by the warmth of her so close. Since she’d gotten into his car, she hadn’t said a word. And, for once, he didn’t feel the need to fill the silence with sound. So they’d driven along in a comfortable silence, illuminated by the street lights and then by the shy moonlight peeking through the windows.

 

Making it to the beach, he parked. They sat for long moments, before she turned to the side, slipping off her shoes. Opening the door, she got out and stretched, with a long self-satisfied yawn. Then she was off, running down the shore. Pausing, she stopped and turned back.

 

“Aren’t you coming?”

 

He wasn’t sure how long they’d chased each other on the beach. It was according to rules that neither one of them had spoken. He was forever surprised by her energy. Even after their long sessions, she seemed to be tireless, frolicking through the surf and the sand. They still hadn’t spoken more than a handful of words to each other.

 

Now, side by side, in the damp sand, they watched the moon cast wavering fingers across the midnight blue water.

 

“Evie-chan…” he ventured, then felt the words die on his tongue.

 

“It’s okay. Kotobuki,” she shifted, turning to face him. From their wild play, her white blouse was soaked through, and the outline of her lace chemise beneath was enough to speed up his pulse and tie his tongue. Her sodden sleeves clung to her arms, her suspenders pressing firmly into her torso and bringing the curves of her breasts into stark relief. “I’ve gotta apologize.” Her slip from formal language into the causal made his breath catch. “I’m being too hard on you. I’m sure Kaz had ‘The Talk’ with you,” and she laughed, ruefully. “I know I’m really hard to deal with. But you have to understand - Kotobuki, you have such a voice! Such a capacity for emotion and love and playfulness. It’s all right there, right in front of me, and you’re just mimicking the way you’ve heard other people sing the song. You’re killing me!”

 

Reiji stared. Her expression was sheepish, earnest.

 

“Your voice is so, so pure. It’s like meeting the cool, older guy that you first fell in love with. That’s why I picked this song for you. I want to hear that teasing confidence from you. I want you to be you; not sing it like you’ve heard other people sing it. They call them ‘standards’ because a lot of people sing them. But every one that does has their own take on them - that’s how they can breathe new life into a song that people have heard a million times before. Kotobuki, I know you can do it. And I don’t know how I can get into that wonderful heart of yours to pull it out.” She laid a sandy palm across his chest again. Before he could stop himself, he pressed his hand over hers.

 

“…Evie-chan…” he managed, his tongue thick in his mouth.

 

“…However you want to sing the song, sing it like its yours. Whatever way you need that to happen, let me know. I’m here to support you.”

 

His heart swelled. She had faith in him.

 

“Can I lean on you, then, my girl?” His tone was teasing, his hand slipping away from hers.

 

“Of course! I-” She broke off suddenly as he rested his head on her shoulder. This close to her, he could feel her warmth emanating from her, feel the silk of her hair brush across his forehead. Soundlessly, he let his hands drop to either side of him in the sand. He almost started when he felt her fingers graze his, then he relaxed as she slipped her fingers through his own. Grasping them, he allowed his eyes to drift shut, listening to the sound of the waves and her steady breathing.

 

She had faith in him. He was going to do better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...Being "mean" to Reiji is like kicking a puppy. I mean, how can you be? But it's for a good reason, promise!
> 
> Suggested listening:
> 
> "Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby" - Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LGl70VGvmg


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